Into Darkness
by Ame no Mizu
Summary: Something is after Marik... something Ryou is all too familiar with... something even Malik and Bakura can't protect them from... {Marikhikari} (yaoi, MM, BR, attempted rape, PG-13) Chapter six up at last!
1. Attack

Into Darkness

Ame no Mizu

Author's Note: Only thing you need to remember—

            Marik- hikari

            Malik- yami

Got it? Good. Rated R for yaoi, violence, language, and attempted rape.  In the 'Soul Search' realm—but doesn't follow it directly. Kinda different.

Chapter one:

Attack

"Marik… love, you need to wake up…"

Marik Ishtar woke to a strong arm wrapped protectively around his waist, lithe fingers stroking his hair. Soft lips brushed lightly against his, and he opened his eyes to look into those of his yami. They deepened the kiss, a smooth, moist tongue dipping into Marik's mouth.

They broke apart with a soft smacking sound and the hikari settled into Malik's arms, resting his head on the broad, tanned chest. Malik placed a soft kiss on Marik's cheek, holding him close. But just as the blonde light was beginning to fall asleep—

"Marik, hikari… you really need to get up and get dressed…"

"Don't wanna," Marik murmured into his lover's chest, his fingers trailing through silky blonde.

"Fine," answered Malik, sighing, "If you want Bakura and his hikari to come over to find you naked and still in bed, so be it…"

"… shit. I forgot they're coming over today," he climbed off Malik, going over to his dresser to find something to wear, deciding on a black tank top and a worn pair of jeans.

As he buttoned the pants and pulled the shirt over his head, he felt Malik's arms wrap around his waist again, pulling him close. Lips claimed his neck greedily.

"Dammit, Marik," Malik breathed into the sensitive skin, "Why do you have to be so damn… _irresistible?" Strong, experienced hands slithered down Marik's thin waist; fingers urgently undid the button of his jeans. A deep moan escaped Marik's throat, and his breath quickened._

"Um… is this a bad time?"

Marik recognized the soft-spoken English lilt immediately: Ryou Bakura. He was standing at the bedroom door, his normally snowy white cheeks glowing a slight pink. Yami Bakura was behind him, shoulder leaning into the doorpost, his arms crossed, grinning mischievously.

"Don't let us bother you," he drawled, "Just pretend we're not here."

"Fuck you, too," hissed Malik, and he released his hikari. It took everything Marik had not to whine at the loss of contact.

"I…uh, brought over the movies, if you still want to watch them," Ryou cut in quietly. They had planned that day to watch some English-language movies that he'd brought over from his homeland.

"'Course we do," replied Bakura, "And we will, if these two could stop their makeout session long enough to go downstairs and put one in the VCR… or is that asking too much?"

"Go to hell," hissed Malik.

"Done that," the pale yami shot back, "Didn't like it. All the heat made my hair frizzle."

"Fuck off," Malik countered as he and Marik brushed past them towards the stairs.

"Hmmm… done that, too,"

Marik laughed, shaking his head as his yami growled and began to descend the stairs and head for the living room.

Ryou yawned as the ending credits for 'Titanic' began to roll. He'd seen the movie hundreds of times before, thanks to his sister (AN~ you'll meet her in Soul Search ~), who had given it to him when she left for Egypt with their mother. He had a rough time translating every line for Bakura, who knew only minimal English, and the yami kept making fun of the corny lines (which sounded cornier translated into Japanese). Marik, who had learned English as a young child, seemed genuinely interested in the movie, while Malik seemed interested only in continuing to make out.

Sighing, Ryou stood to stop and rewind the tape, picking another one out of his bag.

"Next up: 'The Mummy'" he announced. Marik looked up, shoving his frustrated yami off him, and narrowed his eyes.

"You can't be serious."

"I love this movie," Ryou defended, "I thought you all would like it as well…"

"I'm still hungry," Bakura growled, obviously not paying any attention, staring into the empty popcorn bowl, "Make some more."

Ryou sighed again, putting the tape down and snatching the bowl from his yami's lap.

"Ryou, wait," the albino turned as Marik called to him, "I'll make the popcorn, you stay here and start the movie."

"Oh… okay."

Marik took the bowl from Ryou's hands, ignoring his yami's glare as he was abruptly denied a chance to push his tongue down his hikari's throat. The blonde light loved making out, don't get him wrong, but sometimes enough was enough.

He felt Malik reach out to him in his mind, but he quickly put up a block, and kept it up. He didn't need to hear it. Wandering into the kitchen, he found the box for the microwavable popcorn on the counter, where Yami Bakura had left it (Ryou had recently taught him how to work the microwave), and picked it up, peering inside. It was empty. He searched the cabinets, but there was nothing.

"We're out!" he called, and heard the disappointed groan, "I'll go to the store and get another box, don't worry, Bakura!"

"Well, hurry up."

"My light is not your slave," his yami shouted at Ryou's, "Only I can tell him to hurry up!"

"Whatever."

Sighing, Marik grabbed his keys and the Millennium Rod off the edge of the counter, slipping the item into a belt loop, and left the house. The summer breeze was pleasantly warm, blowing the hair out of his eyes. He was enjoying this greatly. No yami 'innocently' wrapping his arm around his waist, no yelling, no arguing. Just the summer air and the laughter of children in a nearby park. It was bliss.

Until something- he wasn't sure what- made him stop in his tracks. He looked around him, but saw no one except for a businessman going over some papers in a long black car. He shook his head slightly in an effort to calm his nerves, and continued walking.

He felt the hair on the back of his neck rise. Now thoroughly spooked, he dropped his shields and reached out to his yami.

/…Malik?/

//What?// Marik shivered at his lover's icy tone.

/I…/

A strong arm wrapped suddenly around Mari's neck, cutting off both his link with Malik and his air supply. Shock and fear coursed through his veins, and he desperately reopened the link as he was dragged backwards.

/Malik!/ he cried, /Malik, help me! Please!/

//What? What happened?!//

/Malik…/ was all the hikari could manage as he began to feel dizzy from the lack of oxygen.

//Hang on, hikari, I'm coming!//

He was pushed into the back of a car, his neck freed, his captor following. Rough, callused hands pinned his arms to the hot leather of the backseat, and dry lips silenced his hoarse cries for help. His arms were released, and he tried to reach the Rod, which held the only protection he had, but found he couldn't. Cold hands pushed his thin shirt over his abdomen, fumbling with the button of his jeans. Harsh reality rushed him, making him whimper: he was being raped.

/Malik…/ he sobbed over the link as he struggled in vain against the unnaturally strong man, /Please… hurry!/

//I'm almost there!// 

Indeed, just as he stopped talking, he could hear faint footsteps. His attacker gasped as a hand slipped into Marik's jeans and his lips were abandoned. He screamed, and the man laughed, bending down to whisper in his ear.

"I'll be back for you, Marik Ishtar, he hissed, and climbed off the hikari, vanishing. Marik, trembling uncontrollably, pushed himself further into the car, not attempting to stop the tears that were already slipping down his cheeks.

Malik raced down the sidewalk, panic flowing through his body. His hikari's tone scared him to no end. He knew right from the beginning that he should've gone along. Now, something had happened to his precious light, and he hadn't been there to save him. If Marik was hurt in any way… he would never forgive himself.

Seconds later, he could feel the boy's presence growing stronger, and he noticed the door of a black car was open. There. That's where Marik was. He stopped at the car, and gasped at what he found inside.

His disheveled hikari had his knees drawn up to his chest. The angel's hair obscured his face, which was buried in his arms. One look at the boy's appearance told him all he needed to know. His jeans were unbuttoned and his arms and neck were beginning to bruise. 

"Marik?" he called softly, and heard Bakura and Ryou arrive behind him, the smaller of the two giving a small gasp. Marik lifted his head off his arms, his eyes bloodshot and puffy.

"Malik!" he cried, throwing his arms around the yami's neck, sobbing into his chest.

"What happened, love?"

"He… he tried to rape me," replied the frightened hikari, "He grabbed me, held me down…. Malik…"

Blinding rage ripped through Malik's body as Marik broke down and collapsed against him, clutching his shirt. Someone had forced himself on the hikari of Malik Ishtar.

It was decided there that the fool would die.

"Marik… you need to tell us what happened." Ryou said softly as the blonde settled into his yami's arms on the couch. Bakura, having gotten to the house first, had made sure all the windows were shut and locked, at Malik's request. It made everyone feel a little safer. Pushing a cup of warm tea into Marik's hands, he sat next to his own yami, waiting for the reply.

"I was walking to the store, and I felt someone watching me," the boy whispered, "I kept walking, but I felt it again. When I reached out to Malik, someone grabbed me from behind, dragged me into a car. He heard you coming. He… he said he'd be back for me. He knew my name! Then, Malik showed up."

"Oh, Marik… I'm so sorry," Malik whispered, stroking his hikari's hair lovingly, "I should've been there…"

Marik was about to reply when the phone suddenly rang. He rose to answer it.

"No, Marik," said Ryou, standing, "Stay here. I'll answer it. You keep talking." Marik nodded and sat back down.

Ryou found the intrusive wireless phone in the kitchen. Snatching it up, he pressed the button with the flashing light and held it to his ear.

"Moshi moshi?"

"…"

"Hello?"

"Hello, Ryou Bakura."

He nearly dropped the phone in shock and had to grab the counter to stop himself from collapsing.

"What are you doing here?" he gasped quietly, careful not to alarm the others.

"I gave your little friend quite a scare, eh? Did you recognize the car?"

"What are you doing here?" Ryou repeated angrily.

"Do you really think locks and bolts will keep me away from you, Ryou? I meant what I said- I'll be back for the blonde. I'm coming for you, too."

"What do you want with Marik? I'm the one you need."

"Don't try to pretend you know what I'm doing. I need him as well."

"You won't lay a finger on him."

"I did today. I'll do it again, love. You'll hear from me again." there was a click, then a dial tone. Ryou, shaking, shut the phone off and sunk into a kitchen chair.

"Ryou?"

He jumped, and stared at his yami, who was standing in the doorway, a mix of shock and anger on his face.

"You know Marik's attacker?"

"I just now realized I do. He wasn't supposed to know I'm in Domino. He must have followed me from London," Ryou lowered his eyes to stare at the floor, "I didn't know he'd go after Marik, nor why he would. If I had, I would've prevented this."

"I know you would," Bakura replied softly, "But why was he threatening you?"

At this, Ryou gave a bitter laugh.

"Sit down, Bakura. This may take a while…"

Well, there ya go. Hope you like it. I'm kinda proud of this. If there are enough reviews, chapter two is on the way. Please review!!!!

Also, many will argue that Malik is the hikari, not Marik. Well, I live in the States. We haven't even met Yami Marik yet. Therefore, Marik is gonna stay the hikari. Sorry, guys. 

On a lighter note, the production of Soul Search ch. 2 is coming along pretty well. Go check it out if you haven't already!!!!

~ Ame no Mizu ~   *Mizu-chan*****


	2. Kidnapping

Into Darkness

Ame no Mizu

Author's Note: Well, here it is. Hope you like it!!!!

Review responses: 1. Kyobe- Marik wasn't raped—he was nearly raped, but Malik got there in time. 2. Queen of Eternal Darkness- Nope, it ain't Yami. Sorry, but I like Yami. He wears leather. Can anyone who wears leather truly be evil???? : * 3. Awww… but I love cliffies… 

Thankies to everyone who reviewed! Oh, and to Guardian, I'd love for you to introduce me to your Marik fangirl friends. I like meeting new people!!!!!!

Ryou-Bakura, you're such a sweetie!!!! I can't believe you reviewed me!!! You're one of my favorite authors!!!! Thankies!!!!!!

And thanks to all the people who reviewed but didn't get mentioned. I'm short on time!!

As always, review and chapter three is on the way ASAP!!!!! 

Don't worry, neko_mimi, I've decided to get an account with adutlfanfiction.net (thanks, malik'sgurl, for the suggestion), and upload the lemons there. I don't wanna get in trouble with ff.net… I like it here.

Also, sorry if Ryou's story seems kinda unfulfilling… I was trying to see how to best word it.

Chapter two:

Kidnapping

Bakura sat at the kitchen table, looking at his hikari intently. The boy's hands were shaking. His eyes were becoming red. Marik and Malik came into the room, twin looks of concern on their faces. 

"What happened?" asked Marik as he sat down, "Is something wrong?"

"Ryou… knows your attacker," Bakura answered, and Marik gasped, "Just listen to him." The blonde nodded and settled into his yami's arms, his gaze set on his fellow hikari.

"I was born in Los Angeles, in the states," Ryou began, "My father worked at this collage, for the archeology department. When I was born, my parents knew it wouldn't be enough to support them, my sister, who was only two at the time, and me. He decided to get other work.

"This man approached him—Derek Hynes. He told my father that he was a relic hunter. He was looking for this one artifact, from Egypt. He offered my father a ridiculously large amount of money if he agreed to help find it. My father was well known when it came to his knowledge of Egypt. Well, he went off to Egypt with Hynes. He worked for the longest time—at least, that's what my mother told me.

"But something went wrong. After a year of searching, it was discovered that the artifact had been stolen. Hynes was furious. He blamed it all on my father. He was on the first plane back to California and left my dad nearly stranded in Cairo. He- he got together some men and—"

It was here that Ryou broke off, trembling even harder. Marik reached out and touched his shoulder lightly, comfortingly.

"And what, Ryou?" Bakura whispered, "What happened?"

"He waited until my mother went to work and left me with the babysitter (my sister was in preschool), and—kidnapped me. I can't remember it, really, but from the way my mother would talk about it, it scared me to no end. She told me that it was two months before the police found me, alone, in a condemned building in Sacramento. She said it was the most terrifying two months of her life. We didn't hear from Hynes again until about five years ago, a while after we moved to my mother's homeland, England, to be closer to her family. He started calling her, saying he was going to take me again. He said he needed me. He told me directly, when I answered the phone once, that he was going to take me and bring me to Egypt to 'fulfill my destiny.' When I was attacked at my school, we decided to move again.

"We moved to Egypt, much to my mother's disapproval. For four years, we were safe. But he found us. My father was running out of ideas. He came up with this last resort, he was sure it would work. He bought four tickets back to London, but only him and me went. It was the perfect bluff. We came here, using fake names, last year. We thought we were safe…It was Hynes that attacked you, Marik. I'm so sorry I couldn't stop this. If I had any idea this was going to happen, any idea at all, you know I… I never would've…let it come to this."

A tense silence following Ryou's story. He trembled in Bakura's arms, and the yami felt a lone tear fall down his cheek.

"He won't come near you again," Bakura cut through the silence with a growl, "Never again will he hurt you, I promise. He won't touch you."

"He won't touch either of you," Malik insisted, "If he does, he shall die a slow, painful death. No one puts their hands on my hikari like that and lives long to tell the tale." Marik sighed in his yami's arms.

"I love you," the hikari whispered.

"We should get going," said Ryou, standing, "It's getting late."

"You can stay here for tonight, if you want," said Marik, "We have enough room."

"No, that's okay, Marik, but I need some time alone with my yami."

Bakura took a deep breath and stood along with his hikari.

"I agree. We should be leaving."

Marik nodded and Bakura left, his arm wrapped around his lover's shoulders protectively.

{The lemons I will upload on adultfanfiction.net will go here… keep checking up with my bio to see if I put the addy up yet!!!}

Ryou woke up the next morning to find his yami missing from his arms. He stretched, sitting up, and heard noises from downstairs. Bakura was awake, and was probably hungry. With a grimace, Ryou remembered the last time his yami had tried to cook (there had only been _four firetrucks, Bakura had argued… there had been six the time before that). Groaning, he lifted himself out of the bed, pulling on his clothes, which had been thrown haphazardly around the room. As he descended the stairs, the sounds grew quiet._

"Bakura?" he called, but there was no answer, "Koibito, where are you?"

No answer.

Ryou strolled into the kitchen, and found no one. How strange. He could have sworn there were noises coming from down here…

"Good morning, my little English muffin…"

The albino froze. No. No way. Not him, not now. 

Ryou turned, and came face to face with Derek Hynes.

"I… thought all the windows and doors were locked," Ryou said, trying to stay strong, attempting to establish a link with his yami.

"They were," Hynes purred, switching from Japanese to English, "These modern locks are _so _hard to pick, don't you agree?"

"I wouldn't know."

"No, of course you wouldn't," the man laughed, "The spirit would, though. Too bad he's not here to give us his insight." Ryou gasped.

"What did you do to my yami?" he demanded, growing angry. If Bakura were hurt… he wouldn't know what to do.

"Now, now, Ryou, no need to get upset," Hynes laughed, "You were always so much prettier when you smiled. I've been watching you for the past few months. You're so happy here, aren't you? Here, with those two blondes. The smaller one is cute. Marik, right? He looks like a good fuck. But you wouldn't know that, would you, angel?"

"Stay away from them. This is between us."

"Is it even that?" asked Hynes, suddenly serious, "If you had any idea what I have planned for you and your…yami, you'd be running scared by now."

"What does Bakura have to do with this?" Ryou asked, suddenly curious.

"More than you think. I'm surprised you haven't figured everything out already. You have a tendency to do that. If you want to see the spirit again, meet me at that local park tomorrow at noon. Bring the Ishtar boys. You bring anyone else, your yami is history. Trust me, I know how to get rid of him… Forever." With that last chilling word, Hynes turned and left, leaving Ryou to lean on the kitchen table for support.

_What does he want?_

Marik hummed as he bustled around the kitchen, making breakfast. Malik was upstairs, still asleep. The blonde hikari was planning to surprise him with breakfast in bed.

He never got the chance to.

The phone rang, cutting into his thoughts. He snatched the phone from off the counter beside him, and pressed the annoying flashing button.

"Hello?" he said tonelessly.

This better be good… 

There was a pause, a slight hesitation in which Marik could hear someone give a small sniffle.

"Marik?" It was only a whisper, but the blonde recognized it immediately.

"Ryou, what happened? What's wrong?"

"Bakura… he took Bakura…"

"Who, Ryou? Who took Bakura?" Marik paled, mentally calling for his yami. This sounded serious.

"He was here. He broke in. He told me he had Bakura…"

"Who? You need to tell me who."

"Hynes. He was here. He took my Bakura…" Ryou began to cry. Marik thought quickly. Hynes had broken into Ryou's house. Bakura was kidnapped. Which meant that Ryou…

_Oh, no. Ryou's alone in that house._

Covering the mouthpiece of the phone, he turned his head to the stairs.

"Malik! Get down here! Now!"

He heard footsteps thundering down the stairs, and his yami appeared, half-asleep.

"What is it?"

"Malik…" he whimpered, then held out the phone, "It's Ryou. This is serious. He's home alone. We have to get over there."

"Okay…" said Malik, bewildered, and took the phone, "Ryou…? Uh-huh… _what_…? oh, Ra… you're sure? Okay. Okay. We'll be there in a few minutes. Stay in your room. We have our own keys. Don't answer the door or the phone. Wait there for us. Okay. Bye," Malik turned to his hikari, a look of anger on his face, "We're going. Get your coat."

They left as fast as they could, worried for their friend. If Bakura was gone, then that meant that Ryou was unprotected and vulnerable. Anything could happen to him.

"Malik?" Marik asked as they ran down the sidewalk.

"Yes, hikari?"

"Are… we going to be okay?"

"What do you mean?"

"Things seem to be happening to us lately. The last time something like this happened, we all almost died. Who's to say that won't happen again?"

"Marik," Malik laughed, taking the hikari by surprise, "The only reason you didn't die last time was because I'd never let that happen. You know I love you too much to let anything happen to you."

Marik just smiled, not being able to come up with a reply to that.

They arrived at Ryou's apartment, and Marik took the keys out of his pocket, opening the door. There was no noise, none at all. They raced upstairs, and found the albino curled up on his bed, whimpering.

"Oh, Ryou," Marik cried, "Thank Ra you're okay…" He moved to the boy and sat on the bed next to him, drawing him into his arms.

"Ryou, you have to tell us what happened," Malik said, standing protectively in the doorway.

"He came this morning," Ryou said, "I thought I heard Bakura move downstairs. I went down there, but Bakura wasn't there. Hynes was. He told me he had my Bakura. I have to… meet him in the park tomorrow at noon. He told me to bring you two. He said… he knew how to destroy Bakura. Forever." Tears fell down the already stained cheeks, and Marik wiped them away.

"Can he do that, Malik?" asked Marik, "Is there really a way?"

"There are some. I wouldn't be surprised if he found some old spell. Since we don't know what he's got planned, we'll have to be careful. We need to take precautions. Ryou, we're going to stay here with you tonight. We'll go with you tomorrow." Ryou nodded, giving a small sob before burying his face in Marik's shoulder.

"Shh… it's okay Ryou," the hikari comforted, "We're here now. Everything will be okay…"

He just hoped he wouldn't become a liar.

Well, there ya go. Review, please!!!! I love the fact that people like this story. 

Next chapter: possible Ryou/Marik/Malik. Do you want this? Also, Ryou goes to meet Hynes and Malik comes up with a plan to rescue his fellow yami… will it work, or is our favorite albino yami doomed? And why does Hynes need Marik so badly? Could there be a reason for his attacking Marik?


	3. Jealousy

Into Darkness

Ame no Mizu

Author's Note: Okay, here's the deal with chapter three. It was going to be that I would have Ryou, Marik, and Malik go meet Hynes in this chapter, but I got a huge idea that made this chapter a little longer. So, I decided to split chapter three into two chapters. There is a reason for this. You see, had I not split it, you wouldn't be getting chapter three for another week or so, and I didn't want you all to think I died or something.

Ryou: 'Cuz that's not cool.

Anyway, thanks for all the wonderful reviews!!!!

Bakura: You know that the only reason you got so many was because hato-chiisai was on vacation, right?

Wow, thanks…

Bakura: What? It's true…

Well, anyway… I hope you like chapter three… ::goes off to sulk in her closet::

Chapter three:

Jealousy

Malik prowled around Ryou's home, his eyes watchful, and his senses on guard. Marik and Ryou were upstairs, asleep in each other's arms. Malik didn't have the heart to wake them, so he decided to keep watch.

The situation was getting increasingly dangerous. This man, Hynes, knew what he was doing. He'd been able to overpower his hikari, a feat not many could accomplish. He'd kidnapped a yami, Bakura of all people. He was now apparently trying to get his hands on Ryou and Marik.

Of course, Malik would never let that happen.

Finding nothing downstairs, he headed back up to the hikaris. They were still asleep, their arms and legs intertwined.

"Bakura…" the name fell from Ryou's lips, just a whisper. Malik watched sadly as a lost and forlorn expression took over the albino's delicate features. Sighing, the yami brushed a stray lock of hair out of the angelic face and smiled as Ryou leaned into the touch.

For as long as he could remember, Malik had been attracted to Ryou. It was hard not to be. The way he walked, the way he spoke, the way he played with his hair when he was bored… Malik was attracted to every little piece of the small hikari.

"Bakura, you're a lucky man," Malik whispered, not thinking, "Not everyone can wake up every morning with such beauty in their arms." A sound from outside suddenly brought him back to earth, and he hurried downstairs to see what the commotion was.

Had he stayed, he wouldn't have missed the solitary tear that ran down Marik's cheek or the choked sob that followed it.

The next morning, Ryou awoke to the sound of his fellow hikari's voice.

"Ryou, get up. Malik wants us downstairs," the albino opened his eyes in time to see Marik's retreating back.

Five minutes later, he shuffled in to the kitchen. Marik was at the stove, his yami at the small round table. Ryou sat, and there was complete silence until Marik set down three plates of fried eggs in front of them and sat down himself.

"I don't think we should go."

At Malik's quietly uttered statement, Ryou's head shot up.

"What are you talking about? Of course we should go. We can't leave Bakura in the hands of that madman!"

"Ryou, it's too dangerous. If you get hurt, Bakura will never forgive me."

"If we don't go, there may not be a Bakura left to forgive you," Ryou snarled, taking the two blondes—and himself—by surprise, "If you take him away from me, I won't forgive you either."

"Ryou, you're overreacting—"

"_Overreacting?_" the albino cried, "If you were in my position, and Marik were in danger, you wouldn't react any less than I am now."

"…That's different."

"How, Malik?" Ryou asked, tears coming to his eyes, "If someone kidnapped Marik and threatened to take him away from you, do you honestly think you would stay calm and not do everything you possibly can to get him safely back in your arms?"

Malik remained silent, his eyes on the floor. The discussion was over.

At eleven thirty, they left, still cloaked in silence. Ryou's mind was racing. What if Hynes had already destroyed his yami? What if Bakura was angry that Ryou hadn't done anything to prevent the kidnapping? So many questions he hoped would be answered by this meeting…

They arrived at the park fifteen minutes early, and they chose a bench to sit on and wait, Malik sitting between the two hikaris.

All they could do was wait.

Marik wrapped his arms tightly around his yami's waist and smiled when Malik hugged back. He briefly remembered his flash of jealousy the night before at his lover's words concerning Ryou, but now he felt silly about it.

_It's just a crush, after all,_ he thought, making sure Malik couldn't hear, _He would never cheat on me, especially not with Ryou. He… loves me, and Ryou loves his Bakura. Nothing's going to change that. Ever._

His eyes roamed the park, taking in the random families that walked past. He'd always wanted a family. He had been thinking about talking to Malik about it. Even though they technically couldn't have children, it would be nice to adopt… marry each other… settle down… maybe go back to Egypt…

His thoughts were interrupted when he felt his yami tense. He looked, and saw Ryou clutching Malik's arm in fear, murmuring something unintelligible beneath his breath. The albino whimpered and moved closer to the blonde yami.

_… it's nothing. He's just scared, that's all…_

"It's him," Marik heard Ryou whisper, "He's here."

Marik looked wildly, and his eyes met those of a sickeningly familiar man walking toward them leisurely. It was Hynes. Malik's grip on Marik's waist tightened, and the hikari knew that although he'd never seen Hynes before, Malik could feel the evil intentions radiating off the man.

"Whatever happens, hikari, I want you to stay close to me unless I tell you otherwise," he whispered in Marik's ear, then stood as Hynes reached him.

"Good boy, Ryou," Hynes greeted, "You always were one to do what you're told," Marik tensed as the small, beady eyes turned to him, "I'm surprised you came. I thought for sure you'd run and hide like all the others. But I'm glad you decided to come out and play," Hynes suddenly licked his lips, "You scream _so _beautifully."

With a growl, Malik stepped forward so he was between his hikari and the deranged man, his nose an inch from Hynes's.

"If I ever hear you talk to my hikari like that again, I will rip out your spinal cord and feed it to you," he hissed venomously, "The only thing keeping me from killing you right here is the fact that you still have Bakura. But as soon as we get him back, you're mine." Hynes chuckled insanely.

"I look forward to it."

"Where's Bakura?" Ryou suddenly demanded, "What did you do to him?"

"He is safe… for now."

"What do you want, Derek?"

"In short," Hynes purred, "You. You're all I've ever wanted, Ryou."

"Why have you dragged Marik into this?"

"You're a very nosy little boy, Ryou," Hynes sighed, "Just like your mother, digging around for information that isn't yours to know. If you want your lover back, love, meet me at this address." The man shoved a piece of paper forward and Ryou took it hesitantly.

Before Ryou could withdraw his arm, before Malik had the time to react, Hynes grabbed the albino's wrist and pulled him off the bench. Marik saw him whisper something into Ryou's ear, then fist his hand in the boy's hair, forcing the space between them to close. Ryou panicked. He gave a muffled scream, and Malik shot forward, prying him out of Hynes's grasp.

"I'll see you at four, love," Hynes laughed, then turned on his heel and left.

Ryou trembled in Malik's arms as he watched Hynes leave. Close to tears, he let the two blondes lead him out of the park and down the street.

"It's okay, Ryou," Malik kept whispering to him comfortingly, "We'll get Bakura back. That bastard won't get away with this."

The living room clock said one-fifteen as they walked in. Malik led Ryou to the couch and sat with them.

"I'll make some iced tea," said Marik quietly, and he disappeared into the kitchen.

"Ryou, are you alright?" Malik whispered in the albino's ear, rubbing his back soothingly. Ryou nodded feebly.

"I'll be better when I'm back in Bakura's arms," he said, wrapping his own around Malik, "I'm scared. I want my Bakura back. I want him to hold me and tell me it's okay. If I get just one more kiss from his lips, I'll be okay. But now, I may never see him again…" Ryou's voice cracked with emotion and he began to shiver uncontrollably. Malik held him closer and began to rock him back and forth. 

"Don't think like that," he whispered, "We're going to get him back, don't worry. I won't let him be taken away from you, just as I would never let anything take Marik away from me. We're going to bring your yami home."

"I hope so," Ryou whispered, "Without Bakura, I have nothing, not even a reason to live. I need him back…" As he trailed off, he began to cry, burying himself in Malik's shoulder.

Marik suddenly walked back into the living room with the three glasses of iced tea, but froze when he saw his yami and Ryou on the couch. They were rocking back and forth, locked in each other's arms.

Shocked, he suddenly let go of the glasses and they shattered on the wooden living room floor. Marik saw his yami jump and turn his head.

"Marik? Hikari, what's wrong?" he asked, still holding Ryou. Marik shook his head, unable to form words. A tear slipped down his cheek.

"I hate you," he whispered, and with a small sob, he turned and ran out the front door.

"Marik!" Malik yelled, panic filling his veins. Hynes was still out there, and it would be all too easy to snatch Marik while he was off his guard and unprotected. Setting the now sleeping Ryou down gently, he shot after his hikari, hoping he'd get to him before something happened.

All he could do was hope.

"This is so damn _boring_."

Tommi Calis leaned back into the passenger side seat of the black Mazda the boss had lent to him. They'd been sent to watch this stupid house, but nothing yet had happened.

"We've been here for half an hour, Tommi," sighed his partner, Robert, a skinny little man that Tommi could floor with one punch, "You'll be fine."

After a few minutes, the sound of breaking glass was heard. Tommi looked up in time to see a blonde boy run out the door and down the street.

"Ain't that the kid the boss wants?" asked Robert.

"Yeah," replied Tommi with a sinister grin, "Why don't we go give him a ride?"

"How thoughtful of you," Robert laughed, and pulled out of their parking space, following the blonde as he slowed to a walk.

Tommi knew he had to move quickly. The boy's lover would follow him, and from what Tommi had seen, this "yami" was extremely powerful. People had died for even _touching_ the Ishtar boy. He had to grab him quickly before his lover had time to defend him.

Tommi stepped out of the car as it slowed to a crawl beside their target. The boy didn't even notice. He'd been crying, Tommi could see his red, puffy eyes.

Displaying the skill he'd perfected over the years, he stepped up behind his prey, effectively silencing the boy with his hand, pinning the boy's arms to his side with his free arm.

"Marik!" he heard someone yell as the tanned angel—Marik—began to struggle. Tommi twisted his head and saw his captive's lover running towards them.

_Shit_.

He pushed Marik into the back seat of the car, and the boy cried out to his lover, his mouth freed. Tommi jumped in after the struggling teen, closing the car door behind him.

"Go!" he shouted at Richard. His partner hit the gas, and they sped off, leaving Marik Ishtar's lover behind.

Well, there ya have it. Please review!!!!

Also, there's a reason I made Marik seem so incredibly jealous. You'll find out why next chapter.

Next time: Marik returns to Ryou, and the both of them agree to go meet Hynes together. However, there will be a not-so-nice little surprise for the both of them… Be sure to look out for chapter four, "Betrayal."

Ja ne!!!!!


	4. Realization

Into Darkness

Ame no Mizu

Author's Note: Sorry if the beginning is a little choppy and fast, but you have to remember, it used to be part of chapter three. Also, for all you who have been asking about Yugi and Yami, here ya go. Hope you like. Have fun!!!! (Oh, yeah, and reviews are nice, too. Ryou likes eating them for lunch. FEED HIM!!!!!!)

Also, I know this was supposed to be named 'Betrayal,' but I had another big idea, and now that's gonna be chapter five. This is called 'Realization.' Just so no one gets confused. Sorry.

Chapter four:

Realization

"Malik?"

Ryou sniffed and buried himself in his couch as tears pooled in his eyes. He'd woken up only to find that both Marik and Malik were gone. Had they abandoned him?

He heard the front door open and slam close. Ryou panicked, not knowing who it was at first.

"Ryou!" came Malik's broken voice from the hallway and he suddenly appeared in the doorway.

"What happened? What's wrong?" asked Ryou, noting the look on the yami's face.

"H-he took Marik. Hynes had my hikari kidnapped…"

Ryou felt himself pale.

"What? Here, in the house?"

"No. He ran off, and some guy grabbed him off the sidewalk. I couldn't get there in time to save him, and I couldn't leave you here alone." With a heavy sigh, Malik collapsed on the couch next to Ryou.

"You should've gone after him," said the hikari, "He's much more important to you. You should've forgotten about me."

"Ryou," Malik replied as the albino curled up in his seat and the yami reached out to touch his shoulder gently, "How could I forget about you? You're the vulnerable one here. Marik can take care of himself… not that you can't, but Hynes is after _you. I would never forgive myself if I let him get hands on you."_

"But aren't you worried about your hikari?"

"Of course. I'll get him back, you mark my words. Hynes will pay for this, all of it. However, something inside me is telling me to protect you with everything I've got." Ryou uncurled and shifted closer to Malik, "Ryou, I…I think I've fallen in love with you."

Ryou stared. It took a few moments before this new information sunk in. Malik loved him?

"Malik…" he started, "I'm glad you're being honest with me, but you're with Marik, and I'm with Bakura. I think it's best we don't discuss our feelings for each other especially with everything that's happening."

"You know, Bakura's lucky to have you," he laughed, "Such faithfulness is hard to find in a lover. No wonder everyone seems to be attracted to you," he suddenly turned away, "We have two hours before we have to leave. You can go back to sleep if you want."

"You know, I don't think I can," said Ryou truthfully, "I'm too worried. I… I want to know what Hynes is up to. He was never like this when he was after me back when we were in England. He never mentioned another person that he needed. It was always just me."

"How strange. Maybe he just realized it himself," replied Malik.

"It's just… this is one hell of a coincidence. You know, that his other target just happens to be someone I know, and a very good friend of mine, and another…" Ryou broke off, horrible realization dawning in his mind.

"And another what?" Malik asked, confused.

"Another Millennium Item holder," whispered Ryou, "That's the only thing… the only possible explanation…"

"Hynes is after the Items…" murmured the blonde yami.

"Yugi," Ryou gasped, "Yugi and Isis and the other Item holders… they're all in danger… we have to warn them!" Ryou leapt off the couch, and headed for the door, Malik close behind him, "We can't get in touch with all of them, but we can at least get to Yugi… if Hynes hasn't gotten to him first." They raced down the street, their shoes hitting the sidewalk noisily.

"What about the others?" Malik gasped.

"Well… Isis will be able to see an attack coming, she'll be fine. Shadi is in Egypt. If Hynes really wanted to get his Item, he'd have to send someone there. Shadi is too smart for any normal person. Bakura… He has the Eye, that's why he was taken. He must have had the Eye on him that morning… him and his pride," Ryou snarled uncharacteristically, "Marik has the Rod, and I have the Ring. That's everyone." They arrived at the Kame Game Shop to see the sign on the door saying 'Closed.'

"They must have closed up early," said Malik.

"I hope we aren't too late."

Ryou knocked on the door and, after a few moments, a sleepy looking Yami opened it.

"This better be good," was his greeting, "I was asleep."

"Yami," Ryou began, choosing his words carefully, "We… we think Yugi may be in danger." Yami eyes widened.

Not three seconds after Ryou said the words and Yami opened his mouth to reply, a resounding crash came from upstairs.

"Yami!"

The spirit's head whirled around and he took off up the stairs leading to the second floor and Yugi's bedroom, Ryou and Malik not far behind him.

They entered the room to find Yugi struggling against a tall, muscular man who was trying to drag him out the window. With an angry roar, Yami leapt forward and pulled his hikari out of the man's grasp, driving his fist into the man's jaw. A fight began between the man and the two yamis, Ryou grabbing Yugi and pulling him to safety out in the hall.

Then, all was silent. Yami came staggering out of the room, drawing Yugi into his arms and turning to Ryou.

"Thank you, Ryou," he smiled, "However… how did you know Yugi was in danger?"

"Long story." Ryou said as Malik came out of the room with the man's collar in his hand, the unconscious man still attached to it.

"This is him," he gasped, "This is the bastard who took Marik."

"What?" gasped Ryou, "What do you mean?"

"This is him. I recognize him."

Yami still looked confused.

"Will someone please tell me what's going on?"

Ryou and Malik exchanged glances and Malik grinned slightly.

"It's your story, Ryou."

"Lucky me," Ryou growled, "You may want to sit somewhere comfortable, Yami… this is one hell of a story."

"So… you think this guy is after the Items?" asked Yami as Ryou finished his story.

"It was just a theory before we got here, but now that Yugi's been attacked, we're almost certain," replied Ryou, "Or this could be some horrible coincidence."

"Which is unlikely," Malik added.

"So, this Hynes man has both Bakura and Marik?" asked Yugi, and Ryou nodded, "How strange. How could a mortal have defeated Bakura?" the small hikari asked his yami, "I mean, it took a lot for you to just seal him away in the Shadow Realm, and he managed to escape…"

"Well," began Yami, "Perhaps this Hynes isn't your average mortal. He may have some magic in him. It happens sometimes. He could've found a spell in a book or something and bound Bakura's powers or rendered him unconscious until the spell is lifted. However, we'd better hope it isn't one of those spells. They can be a pain to lift without the original spell caster. From what I've heard about Hynes, he won't be willing to lift it if we ask."

"So, what are we doing about this?" asked Yugi. Yami shot him a glare.

"'We' are not doing anything," he scolded, "This is too dangerous for you. I don't want you anywhere near this man."

"Woah, wait," cried Malik, "Who said you were a part of this, Pharaoh?"

"You're kidding me, right?" growled Yami, "You expect me to sit by and let this fool attack my hikari—my Yugi—and not do anything?"

"Well, Yami, Hynes said he only wanted me and Malik to go to meet him. We can't bring anyone else, or he'll destroy Bakura," said Ryou softly.

"And wouldn't that be such a loss," Yami snarled sarcastically. Ryou felt his eyes tear up.

"Yami, that wasn't nice!" Yugi cried, jumping out of Yami's arms to draw a now crying Ryou into his own, "How could you say such a thing? You know Bakura's good now!"

"You know, Yami, you've got a real attitude problem," growled Malik, "That was cruel. You made Ryou cry, even after he helped you with Yugi!" Yami slowly turned red as his eyes fell on his hikari scowling at him.

"You're right…" he muttered, "I apologize, Ryou. I shouldn't have said that. I'm sorry."

"That's okay," the albino whispered, "I understand. A… a leopard never changes his spots, right?" he laughed, a high-strung unnatural sound.

"No!" cried Yugi, "That's not true! Bakura has changed, right Yami?"

"Yes, of course. Ryou, I didn't mean that. I was just angry, that's all," Yami took the crying boy from his hikari's arms and held him comfortingly, "Please forgive me, Ryou. I really do like Bakura, deep down…"

To everyone's amazement, Ryou locked his arms around Yami's neck and began to sob into his shoulder.

"I want him back," he cried, "I want my yami back…" Yami felt tears come to his own eyes, but he blinked them back.

"I know, Ryou, I know you do… We'll get him back for you, I promise we will…" Yami whispered into the albino's ear, "I promise I'll do anything to get him back to you."

"Um, guys," said Yugi hesitantly, "It's quarter after three… shouldn't we be going?" After another glare from Yami, Yugi gulped, "I mean… shouldn't you be going and me locking myself in my room, out of danger?" Yami smiled, but the smile suddenly disappeared.

"What is it?" asked Malik.

"We can't leave Yugi here alone," said Yami, "What if he is attacked again while we're gone? He'll be defenseless. His grandfather is out for the day."

"You mind not talking about me like I'm not here?" Yugi growled, but was ignored.

"You're right, but isn't taking him with us just as dangerous?" asked Malik.

"How about this," said Ryou from Yami's arms, "Why don't you just ride in the Puzzle? That way, you'll stay by Yugi and Hynes won't know you're there. You could be our backup."

"You know," said Yami, "That's not a bad idea."

"Maybe we should also interrogate the man who attacked Yugi," suggested Ryou.

"Who, Sleeping Beauty here?" laughed Malik, pointing to the still-unconscious man behind him, "Not enough time to wake him up. He'll be out for a few good hours."

"Here, step aside," Yami cried impatiently, stepping up to the man. He crouched over him for a few moments, and then, Ryou, Malik, and Yugi heard the man moan.

"Woah," whispered Malik, "How'd ya do that?"

"Later," snapped Yami as the man awakened, "Who are you, mortal?"

"Tommi Calis," said the man, Tommi, in a mechanical like voice, and Malik knew Yami had used the powers of the Puzzle to force the truth out of him.

"Why are you here, Tommi Calis?" Yami demanded.

"Sent here to take the little boy."

"Who sent you?"

"My boss."

"Who is that?"

"…"

"Answer me!"

"…Hynes. Mr. Hynes."

"Why does he need the three hikaris?"

"Don't know. Never said. Very secretive."

"What else has he told you concerning this… job?"

"The little blonde is the key."

"What do you mean, 'key'?"

But before Tommi was able to answer, he fell unconscious once more.

"What happened?" asked Yugi.

"He fainted," Yami replied simply, and stood.

"Well, can't you wake him back up?" Malik snapped.

"If I do that, his body will begin to reject my magic, and it will fail. I had to use a lot of the Puzzle's power just to wake him up and keep him awake. Any more could kill him, and then he won't be any use to us."

"He said something about Marik being some key," said Ryou, "What could that have meant?"

"I'm not sure," said Yami, "But we need to be extra careful when we go to meet him, alright?"

Everyone nodded.

"Alright," said Ryou, "Let's be going, then."

Well, there ya have it. Hope you stay for chapter five!

Next time: (the real 'Betrayal'… he he…) Ryou, Malik, Yami, and Yugi go to meet Hynes, but when they do, they get one hell of a shock…

This time, I promise I'll get it right!

Ryou: Unless, of course, you get it wrong. ::smile::

Uh… yeah. So read. And review. And eat. Bye.


	5. Betrayal

Into Darkness

Ame no Mizu

Author's Note: If you haven't already heard, I recently began receiving the awesome help of one of my best editors, Guardian. She's the best, really. I've got the sequel to 'Dying Again' in the making. It'll be called 'Taking Over Me," and will be a full songfic. The whole idea is that ten years after Ryou dies, Bakura heads back to Japan, where the others still live. It's not gonna be as sad as the prequel, but it will be a little angsty. As for this story, I'm in the middle of writing chapter ten, so you should be getting at least one update per week. Hope you enjoy! ~ Mizu-chan.

Chapter five:

Betrayal

The three boys walked down the burning hot sidewalk in silence. Yami was in the Puzzle, just as they had planned. Yugi's hands trembled as he held the Puzzle in them. He was scared. This Hynes man sounded like bad news, and he couldn't help but think that if he were able to capture Bakura, then maybe, just maybe… he would be able to take the Puzzle away from him.

//You shouldn't think like that, hikari. // came Yami's voice from his soul room. Yugi sent him a smile.

/I know, but… I can't help it. /

//I understand. But you shouldn't worry. I won't let anything happen to you, my hikari, you know that. //

/I know. I just can't help being worried/

//That's okay. It's better to feel worry than to feel nothing at all. Just remember that I'm here with you and I'll protect you, watashi no tenshi. //

/I know. /

The link fell silent, and Yugi felt a little better. He smiled at Ryou and the albino gave a shaky smile back. Yugi wished he knew what to say to him to make him feel better, but no words came to him. Malik, on his other side, looked at him as well. They stayed locked in the gaze until Malik turned away.

//Yugi… //

/Yes, Yami? /

//You're probably going to be angry with me for this, but… //

/What? /

//It's Malik… if he touches you or says anything bad to you… I want you to tell me, okay? //

/Yami, he's on our side now. He wouldn't—/

//I know, but… just in case, I want you promise you'll tell me. //

/Okay. I'll tell you. /

//Thank you. It makes me feel better. //

Yami's sudden uneasiness made Yugi himself uneasy. Did Yami really mistrust Malik so much that he didn't even want his own hikari near him? Yugi thought that both Bakura and Malik had changed. Why wouldn't Yami agree with him? Why was he being so mistrustful?

_Well, he's got his ways, and he's very set in them,_ Yugi thought to himself, careful to block Yami, _And I suppose he has a point. Malik did some pretty evil things before he turned good. However… he's redeemed himself. Has Yami really forgotten all the times Malik has helped us?_

"Yugi," said Ryou suddenly, "Are you okay? You seem ill." Yugi jumped slightly. He'd forgotten for a moment that Ryou was there.

"Oh, I'm fine," he said, putting on a fake smile, "I'm just thinking."

"Nervous?"

"Uh… yeah, that's it."

"It's alright to be," Ryou sighed, "I'm nervous, too. I'm worried about Bakura, you know. I'm scared that he might already be… that Hynes has already… you know…"

"We'll get him back, Ryou, you heard Yami," Yugi comforted, his own troubles temporarily forgotten, "He promised. He'll keep that promise, I know he will."

"Thanks, Yugi," Ryou whispered, tears slipping down his cheeks, "You're a really good friend. I appreciate you coming with us."

"No problem. What're friends for, right?"

"Right."

They fell silent, no more needing to be said. 

Ryou looked down at the paper in his hand, written on which was the address of the place they were to meet Hynes. They were getting close. They turned onto the street indicated on the paper, and Ryou began to look at the numbers of the houses.

"We're looking for 522," he whispered to the others, "It should be close."

"Uh… Ryou?" said Yugi.

"Yeah?"

"I think I found it."

Ryou followed Yugi's index finger to a large, seemingly abandoned warehouse at the end of the street, the number 522 peeling off its door, separated from the other houses.

"Wow… that's a big place," muttered Malik, and Ryou nodded.

"Hynes must have broken in."

They walked the fifty or so yards to the building and up to the door. Ryou hesitated, then pushed the neglected door open. It fell off its hinges with a loud bang.

"He also must have used the _back door," whispered Malik, and Yugi giggled._

"Very funny," Ryou hissed, "He probably set it up like that in order to tell when we were here."

They walked into a wide, empty room that Ryou guessed was some sort of entrance hall. If that were true, then this wasn't a warehouse at all—it was an office building.

He relayed this information to the others.

"You're right," said Malik, "And if that's true, than this place is probably full of cameras."

Indeed, when they looked closely, they could see small black cameras attached to the walls near the ceiling. A small blinking red light told them it was on.

"Hynes is a very intelligent man," whispered Ryou, "I wouldn't be surprised if he fixed them all in order to use them."

They continued on, very aware of the fact that they were now being closely watched.

"So… they have arrived."

Derek Hynes smiled to himself as he watched the three teenagers discover the cameras he himself had fixed and reinstalled. He turned in his chair to see the young blonde boy struggle with the ropes binding his wrists to the hardwood chair Derek had found in one of the many offices.

"Don't fret, little one," he called out in English, not sure if the child could actually understand him, "You will be with your friends very shortly."

"Go to hell," the Egyptian hissed, "You won't touch them. Malik would never let you."

"Yes, yes, the yami… trust me, he'll end up just like the albino one over there…"

Behind the blonde lay the white haired yami, totally unconscious.

"It's a shame I'll have to destroy him…" whispered Derek, "He had so much spunk… and he looks so much like my little Ryou…"

He reached over and grabbed the ancient looking book off the ground, opening it and flipping through the pages until he stopped and smiled.

"Ah… here it is," he murmured, then looked up at the child, "Get ready for your undoing, Marik Ishtar."

He stood, walking over to Marik, who had begun to shiver and struggle harder. He lifted the book up to his chest so he could read from it, and placed his hand on Marik's head.

He began to chant the dead words not spoken by anyone in over a century, and the boy suddenly ceased his struggling, gasped, and became encased in a golden light. The light slowly darkened to a dull gold, then to a sickly yellow. Finally, the child was encased in black, head to toe. When Derek had finished chanting, the boy was dressed entirely in black. The eyeliner became more pronounced. His eyes, once violet, were now a deep, evil red. The spell had succeeded.

"Arise, my child of darkness."

He pulled at the ropes, and they snapped. He stood. Derek smiled. So far so good.

"Who are you?"

"I have no name. I live only to serve." The boy said emotionlessly.

Perfect. The spell had worked perfectly.

"Who do you serve?"

"You, and only you… Master."

"Good boy. Now, I want you to go downstairs to the first floor. You need to lead the three boys to this room. Act as though you're their friend, Marik Ishtar, and that you escaped from me. Do not harm any of them unless I tell you otherwise. Do you understand me?"

"I do, Master."

"Good. Now, go."

Derek smiled as the boy left. This was going perfectly.

He looked down at the book again, and read on. The spell was only good for an hour. That was all he needed, anyway. The Ishtar boy would bring them here.

He turned back to the many screens displaying the pictures of each camera. He had one for every room, every hallway, so he was able to keep his eye on them every second they were in the building.

His eyes lingered for a moment on the short boy he had sent Tommi to pick up after he'd dropped of Marik. He knew that Tommi would never succeed in kidnapping the little boy, because of the powerful yami that lingered in his Puzzle, but his plan had worked anyway. The attack had angered the yami, and in that anger, he insisted in following. He was probably hiding in the Puzzle, seeing as Derek had said to bring no one else. Therefore, his reaction would be faster than if he were out of the Item. He would have to change that.

_//My child… //_ he thought, knowing the boy would hear him.

_/Yes, Master? /_

_//When you meet the other boys, I need you to draw out the spirit of the Puzzle, Yami, without drawing suspicion. Can you do that? //_

_/I can, Master. Consider it done. /_

He smiled. It was done. Now all he had to do was wait.

The three boys continued to walk cautiously down the hallway, ready for anything. Malik was tense. He knew his hikari was nearby. His fingers were itching to feel the smooth, tanned skin of the hikari's arms and shoulders and neck… he needed Marik back in his arms.

"So… how long are we suppose to be walking around?" asked Yugi nervously.

"Until we find Hynes… or he finds us, I suppose," answered Ryou.

They continued to walk in silence. Malik remained as tense as ever.

"Wait!" he suddenly barked, "I… I feel something."

"What do you feel?" Yugi gasped.

"Not something I really want to feel right now."

They heard footsteps around the corner ahead. Malik threw out his arms to stop Yugi and Ryou in their tracks.

"What is it?" asked Ryou.

Before Malik could answer, a young, tanned boy walked around the corner, looking quite lost.

"Marik!" Ryou cried, and rushed forward, throwing himself into the other hikari's arms, "You're okay!"

"I had to sneak out when Hynes wasn't looking," Marik said, smiling and hugging Ryou back, "I'm just glad I got out of there before he realized." He turned to Malik, "Malik… I knew you'd come for me, yami." He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around his lover's neck.

"Hey, Marik…" said Yugi, "How come you're dressed like that?"

Marik looked down at his attire.

"I'm not sure," he replied, "I woke up like this."

"Did you see Bakura?" asked Ryou.

"Bakura? Oh, yes, I did. He was unconscious, however. If he wasn't so heavy, I would've taken him with me, you know I would, right, Ryou?"

"Of course. But we have to get to him."

"I can show you the way," offered Marik, "I'm pretty sure I can remember."

"Alright," said Ryou. Marik turned to Yugi.

"You may want to call Yami out. Hynes knows he's with you. And with Hynes' men roaming around, we'll need all the protection we can get."

"Right," replied Yugi, and the Puzzle glowed. A second later, Yami emerged.

"Are you okay, Marik?" he asked.

"I've been better. Thank you for coming."

They turned and began to walk, Marik leading them. Malik felt a strange sensation arise in his stomach. Something wasn't right. Marik never acted this way.

He didn't want to think of why exactly why his hikaris clothes had been changed without his knowledge. And maybe it was just the light hitting the boy's eyes, but they didn't look the same. He tried to check again, but Marik turned his head away.

Malik had the feeling that this wasn't the same hikari he'd lost just over two hours ago.

"Marik?" he called, striding up to the front of the group, "Hikari, I want you close to me." Marik smiled in reply, and wrapped his arms around Malik's waist lovingly. Malik put his arms around the thin shoulders lightly. 

He'd have to keep a close watch on his hikari.

Ryou saw Marik cuddle up with his yami and felt his eyes water. He wanted Bakura back so badly. According to Marik, he was unconscious. That spelt bad news. What if he was hurt, or worse? Ryou didn't want to think about Bakura being hurt. He wrapped his arms around himself and tried to stop the tears from coming.

"Ryou?"

A strong, comforting arm wrapped around his shoulders, and Ryou turned his head to see Yami Yugi smiling down at him.

"I promised you, Ryou," he whispered, "And that's a promise I plan to keep."

"I know, but… I can't help but be worried," Ryou whispered back.

"You have a right to be," Yami replied, "But remember—we're here with you. You aren't alone, Ryou." Ryou smiled at him through his tears.

"Thanks, Yami."

Marik continued to lead them through the deserted halls, his arms still locked around his yami's waist.

"Here," he said suddenly, letting Malik go, "This is where he kept me, in this room."

The air suddenly tensed, as if the entire group had sucked in its breath as a whole and held it. Marik reached out to open the door, but Yami leapt forward and caught the hikari's arm, jerking it back.

"We don't know what's in there yet," he said, "You should let me and Malik go first, just in case he's waiting for us."

"Of course."

Yami opened the door and stepped in, followed by Malik.

"YAMI!!!!!!!"

They all whirled towards the scream, and Ryou gasped at what he saw: Yugi was in the arms of a tall man dressed all in black. Ryou cried out as he himself was grabbed from behind, and he struggled, but in vain.

The two yamis leapt forward to save them, but were suddenly thrown back.

"Marik, what are you doing?" Yami screamed as the blonde hikari smirked and advanced into the dark room.

"Following orders," Marik called back in a voice quite unlike his own. Ryou looked over to Malik, but saw that the yami had been knocked out. Yami stood shakily and leaned against the wall for support.

"What do you mean?" he snapped.

"He meant exactly what he said."

Ryou gasped as he recognized the smooth voice. Derek Hynes stepped out, the hikari right behind him.

"Who are you?" snarled Yami.

"Why, Ryou, I'm surprised at you," laughed Hynes, "Have you forgotten your manners?"

"Yami," Ryou murmured, "This is Derek Hynes. Derek, this is Yami." He scowled at Hynes, "You happy now?"

"Quite," the man purred, "I see you've brought me a little present, here…" He lifted his hand and stroked Yugi's cheek softly. The boy whimpered and a tear ran from his eyes.

"Get your hands off him!" Yami roared, and he leapt forward, but was dragged back by two of Hynes' men.

"And Yami…" Hynes said, "I would suggest you calm yourself, or your hikari pays your price… do you understand me, Pharaoh?"

"Don't you dare hurt him," Yami snarled.

"You know, I don't think you're in any kind of position to be making threats," Hynes growled menacingly, "Tyler…" 

At Hynes' cue, the man holding Yugi began to squeeze the boy, and Yugi cried out in pain.

"Y-Yami!"

"Stop!" Yami yelled, "I understand, Hynes! Please, just don't hurt him!" He went limp in his captors' arms, and Ryou knew he was crying, "Yugi, I'm sorry…"

"Good," barked Hynes, "Take Ryou and his little friend into the room I told you to. Yami goes in this room here. And someone pick up the other one and let him join his friends. Marik, love, you can follow me…" Hynes purred to the blonde hikari lovingly.

Ryou felt himself being dragged down the hall, away from Yami and Malik, his only protection. His eyes connected with Marik, and the two shared a fleeting look before Marik gave a small smile and disappeared into the room after Hynes.

As he himself was dragged into a room, only one thought ran through Ryou's mind:

_What's going on here?_

Oooooh, cliffhanger… gotta love 'em, right?

Next time: Ryou and Yugi are locked together in 'the room' and Yami and Malik find Bakura.

Please review! I'm beginning to think people aren't interested in this story, and I need more reviews in order to know if you want me to continue! So, R&R!!!!!!!


	6. Dance of Darkness

Into Darkness

Ame no Mizu

Chapter six:

Dance of Darkness

Malik moaned as he came to, and the first things he saw were sharp chocolate eyes staring into his.

"Mmmm… Ryou?" he whispered, but the eyes moved as their head shook.

"No, you idiot. It's me."

"B-Bakura!" Malik cried, sitting up and grabbing the yami's shoulders, "Are you alright? What happened?"

"I'm fine. I've been unconscious until about five minutes ago. How's Ryou? Is he hurt? Did that bastard put his hands on my hikari?" Bakura demanded.

"No. Ryou was fine the last time I saw him. Have you seen Marik?"

"Yeah. He's Hynes' little lapdog now, from what I've seen," said Bakura, "Hynes must have put some sort of spell on him. He hit me with one when he took me here. Knocked me out good the first time, that one did. However, I kept waking up every half-hour. His magic's not that good. He finally got someone else to do it for him. He must be only part magic. It happens, from what I've heard."

"Who was the other person he got to work the spell?" asked Malik.

"I'm not sure, but she was one gorgeous woman. If I wasn't in love with Ryou, I would've… you know…" Bakura grinned, but the grin faded, "I'm worried about Ryou. I've been worried since this whole thing started…"

"He's been worried about you, too," Malik smiled sadly.

"Really? He said that?"

"He couldn't stop saying how much he missed you and wanted you back. I… I even offered to comfort him… in my way, you know… I confessed to him just after Marik was also taken. But he refused. You know what he told me?"

"What?"

"He told me that he loved you, and I loved Marik, and I do, don't get me wrong, and that he wasn't going to let me act on my feelings because he loved you too much to do that to you."

Bakura's eyes filled with tears and they spilt over onto his cheeks. Malik drew him into his arms and let Bakura cry into the fabric of his shirt.

Never had Bakura loved Ryou more than now… and he may never see his beautiful hikari again. He cried into his ex-lover's shoulder, and Malik rubbed his back soothingly.

Bakura felt soft lips on his neck, and he knew they belonged to Malik. He didn't have the strength to stop him, and let the blonde kiss him and touch him and comfort him. A hand slipped beneath his shirt, and Malik moved to whisper in his ear.

"How long has it been, Bakura?" the blonde yami hissed, and licked his earlobe lovingly, "How long has it been since we were alone together like this? You know I never let go of my feelings for you, my love… tell me you haven't either…" A hot, moist tongue explored Bakura's neck and shoulders, but the albino yami didn't even notice.

Images flashed through Bakura's mind, images long forgotten. Him and Malik back in Egypt, robbing tombs together; At night, making love at the edge of the Nile; Waking up in each other's arms, looking deep into each other's eyes…

Then, other images surfaced… the life he led now, with Ryou. Those angelic chocolate brown eyes, his silky smooth skin, his sweet mouth…

He looked up into the eyes of his ex-lover's, and his mind was made up.

"Malik…"

Tears fell from Ryou's eyes as his captor dragged him to a long table. He caught only a glimpse of it before he was thrown on top of it. It was a golden table with Egyptian hieroglyphics written. Bakura had been teaching Ryou a little Egyptian, but none of the glyphs were familiar to him. Large shackles attached to the table were locked around his wrist, and beside him, the same was happening to Yugi on another table. Ryou struggled against his bonds, but it was no use: they were far too strong.

The man's hand dipped beneath Ryou's collar and the boy gasped as he pulled out the cord to the Millennium Ring. The man pulled hard, hurting the back of Ryou's neck, and the cord snapped. The two men left the room, Ryou's Ring possessed by one man, Yugi's Puzzle in the hands of another.

That meant Ryou's theory was right: Hynes wanted the Items. But what were the elaborate tables for, and the separate kidnappings of Bakura and Marik? What was Hynes really after?

"Ryou?" came Yugi's voice from Ryou's right, snapping the albino back to reality.

"Yeah, Yugi?"

"I… I'm scared. Why are we here?"

"I don't know. Our yamis will come for us, though. They won't let us get hurt, you know that."

"Yeah, but… I'm still scared."

"I know you are. But stay brave. Don't let them know you're scared, and they won't be inclined to hurt you."

"How do you know that?"

Ryou winced as horrible memories surfaced in his mind.

"I just… do."

"Oh…" Yugi had gotten the hint that it was a delicate matter, and Ryou was grateful, but knew he would be bombarded with questions when they got out of this.

If they got out of this.

No… don't think like that, Ryou. This isn't the end. Nothing will happen. Bakura would never allow it. Hynes will not get away with this. Bakura will come for you. Just wait.

He continued to reinforce these thoughts as Yugi began to whimper and cry Yami's name softly. Ryou wanted to comfort him, wanted to say something to make him feel better… but no words would come.

Hynes suddenly came into the room, smiling in Ryou's direction, followed by Marik. Yugi immediately began to growl uncharacteristically.

"You traitor!" he screamed at Marik, "How could you? I accepted you as my friend! How… how could you?"

"Yugi!" Ryou cried, "That's enough! It's not Marik's fault! Hynes is controlling him! Don't you remember what Yami said?"

Yugi fell silent, but still looked doubtful.

"Marik, love," said Hynes, "Climb on the table like a good little boy, will you?"

They walked to the table together, and Ryou caught the blonde's eyes again: they were no longer red, and one of them winked at him.

Marik's faking it!

That one thought sent his spirits soaring. There was finally hope.

"Go on, child," Hynes purred, "Get up."

A sudden growl arose in Marik's throat and his elbow flew back. Ryou heard a crack and Hynes' yell of pain. Marik moved to free Ryou and Yugi but Ryou stopped him.

"No! Get the yamis!" he yelled, "You don't have much time!" Indeed, Hynes was already recovering slightly from his apparently broken nose. Marik nodded and raced out the door.

"Get him!" Hynes yelled thickly.

Ryou smiled, and knew that a little time was bought.

I know you can do this, Marik. I believe in you.

"Malik…" Bakura began, looking into the blonde yami's eyes, "I know that you still have feelings for me, and I can't deny that I return those feelings… however, I'm still attached to Ryou, and I like being with him. What we had in Egypt was great, yes, but what I have here is even greater. I'm not saying that I don't care about you," Bakura added hastily, seeing Malik begin to look hurt, "But I love Ryou, just as I'm sure you love Marik. I know you do. We can't do this to them."

"I… understand," whispered Malik, "But… maybe when we're out of all this, we could… you know, just once, for old times' sake…"

"I don't know, Malik," said Bakura, "I'd have to ask Ryou, but… we'll see."

"Of course."

There was a tense silence in which they stared at each other for a few moments. Malik couldn't stop himself. With a soft growl, he leant forward and pressed his lips against Bakura's. He moaned and prodded the albino's lip with his tongue, looking for permission to enter.

He broke the kiss when Bakura refused to kiss back.

"Bakura… I'm sorry. I can't keep my hands off you, love. You're irresistible," he purred, but Bakura didn't look him in the eye, "Why won't you look at me, Bakura?"

"I… I love Ryou," he whispered, "I can't do this to him, just as he refused to do this to me. Malik… I really think you and Marik need to talk about loyalty. You two need each other, and I think that if you remain loyal to each other, you'll begin to see that. Marik wants so much more, I can tell, but he's held back because he didn't want to be hurt. He knows about your feelings for my hikari and me. He's jealous, and he's been waiting for you to notice. He loves you, and wants to be with only you. He doesn't want to share, and I can see why. What we had in Egypt was special, but things have changed, and we've moved on. We're no longer alone to fend for ourselves. You know we didn't love each other. Things happened because we only had each other. That's no longer true. We've both found love, don't you see, Malik?" Bakura smiled, "We love our hikaris, therefore we don't need each other any longer. We care for each other, yes, but it's not love. It's lust. If we act on that lust, we risk hurting the ones we really love."

Malik stared at his old lover, seeing him in an entirely different light. He hadn't known Bakura's feelings for Ryou ran so deep. It made him think of his own hikari. Marik did love him, and Malik loved him back, but… a small part of him hesitated. Sure, they slept together, and confessed their love to one another, but their love was hesitant. Did he really love Marik as much as Bakura said he did?

"Bakura, you're right," Malik laughed, "I guess I have been taking Marik a little for granted. I do love him. I want to love him."

"Well, then, the first thing you need to do when you see him again is to tell him so," said Bakura, "You need to make a promise to him. You need to promise to love him, and only him, for the rest of your existence. I did the same for Ryou, and we've never been happier."

Something dawned in Malik's mind. An idea. A good idea. The perfect way to make Marik his forever, even after they left this world…

A crash outside the door brought him back to reality. A shout was heard, and Malik recognized it immediately: It was his hikari.

"Marik!" he yelled, standing and running to the door, "Marik, is that you?"

"It is, yami," called Marik, "Stand back, I'll break the spell on the door."

There was a click, and the door swung open, revealing Marik Ishtar, still dressed in black. With a whimper, Malik stepped forward and gathered the boy into his arms.

"Are you okay, Marik?"

"I'm fine, yami," he said impatiently, "But we don't have much time. Hynes still has Ryou and Yugi. Do you know where Yami went?"

For the first time, Malik realized that the former Pharaoh wasn't with them. He looked around at Bakura, who grinned.

"He wouldn't shut up about Yugi, so Hynes had him put back into the Puzzle," he said, "Without Yugi, he can't get out."

"Well, follow me," said Marik, "I just hope we aren't too late." He stepped aside to let the yamis out of their makeshift prison.

"Don't worry, love, you're right on time."

Malik froze, and instinctively grabbed Marik and held him close. Derek Hynes stepped out of a room next to them, holding a bloody piece of cloth to his nose.

"You thought that trick back there was cute, little hikari?" he hissed, "You'll pay for that." With a growl, Malik stepped between his hikari and the injured man.

"Get away from him, you sad excuse for a creature," he hissed venomously, "If you think I'm going to let you put your greasy hands on my hikari, you've got another thing coming."

"I do, do I?" laughed Hynes, "We'll see how cocky you are when you realize your little ex-lover's hikari is still in danger. How much do you love him, Bakura?" he asked the albino yami, "Do you think you could possibly love him enough to save him from the very ritual that sealed you in this little piece of jewelry?" He held up the Millennium Ring, and Bakura gasped.

"So that's why you had Yami removed! He knows all the secrets of that ritual! You removed him so he couldn't stop it!" he hissed, "Where is Ryou? What have you done with him?"

"He is fine… currently," purred Hynes, "But soon, his soul will be locked away forever, his body mine to use however I like."

"I understand," said Malik, "You're planning to use Ryou's body to house another spirit. But you can't very well do that if Ryou's still in it, can you? If Ryou was in the body, Bakura would have the power to rid his mind of any outside force. But with Ryou gone, Bakura can no longer live inside his head, for the spirit would not be his hikari."

"What does all that mean?" asked Marik. Hynes remained silent.

"It means that Hynes wasn't after all the Items like we thought," answered Malik, "He was after only our three. You see, not every body will survive having its soul ripped out and another one installed. He wanted the bodies of those who had already experienced having an extra soul, and whose body is capable of harnessing magic. Sorcery and shadow powers aren't that different. I wouldn't be surprised if any of the hikaris are semi-wizard. What he plans to do is put in the extra soul, then take out those of the hikaris. If I'm not mistaken, the three souls he chose to put in are the souls of some powerful wizards or sorcerers."

"You've done you're homework, yami," said Hynes, "Well done. Too bad you're too late. The hikaris will be sealed away in an hour's time."

"You bastard," Bakura hissed, "Release him, or else."

"Or else what?" Hynes growled, "You're powerless if your hikari hasn't got the Ring on! What can you do?"

"He can do nothing," said Malik, "But I can do this!"

He lifted his hand, and a blast of power shot from it, knocking Hynes backwards, into the wall.

"Idiot," hissed Malik, "My hikari still has his item. That fool left it with him," he turned to his hikari and Bakura, "Let's go. We still have to find Yami. I think Ryou and Yugi'll be fine without him around." He pointed towards the unconscious Hynes.

"True," said Marik, "He seems to be the ringleader."

"Well, then," said Bakura, "We have a Pharaoh to catch."

Next time: Malik, Marik, and Bakura go to find Yami, but are Ryou and Yugi really safe?


	7. New Evil

Into Darkness

Ame no Mizu

Author's Note: Wow… when I started writing about seven years ago, I never thought you guys would like me as much as you appear to. I have to thank everyone who reads my stories, whether you review or not. You all keep me going.

There is one person I'd like to mention at this time. FireFriendship, you are the sweetest person I ever met (wow… I'm famous? Since when?). I've never had someone review every single chapter I've uploaded all in the same day. You are one of my greatest friends I've never met (you're right there with Guardian (my editor) and Ryou-Bakura1). Friends like you are the reason I still write.

My updating has been kinda slack lately, I know. However, I'm a little busy right now. I've got a job, and I have to go to school, and my anniversary is coming up (one year with my boyfriend! Yay!), and midterms for my fall semester classes have just started (studying's a bitch). I'll probably pick up the pace starting the end of next month or the beginning of January (when we have Christmas break). I do have up to chapter ten of this story written, and I'm working on chapter eleven currently. Expect chapter eight next week or the week after (but don't hold me to that… I'm bad with promises). I might attempt to write a lemon for chapter eight, but that's not a real promise either. I do have an adultfanfiction.net account, but there's nothing there currently. I also have a mediaminer.org account, but there isn't much there except the first chapter of 'Checkmate' and the one-shot 'Dying Again'. There's a chance my lemons will go there, since mediaminer's deciding to behave now (you used to have to wait nearly fifteen minutes for one page to load, but it's better now). The penname on both is Ame no Mizu (but on adultff.net, it has no spaces, like amenomizu).

Review Responses:

Wow, I haven't done these in a looooong time…

Choclate-Cherries: ::grabs candy and runs off:: Thankies, and I'll try to update more often…

Ciu Sune: Thanks, I appreciate the review! About Marik, yes, he's got a hard time making up his mind, but don't worry, he'll fix that soon… ::winks::

The whole story about Yami will also come together, trust me. I'm glad someone caught that.

FireFriendship: Hmm… actually, I don't care too much for ff.net, but it's the most popular site, and I post here because it's the easiest site to search. The bigshots here are going too far with deleting fics, in my opinion. They banned NC-17 because some people complained. That, to me, is simply restricting our freedom of speech. They had no right whatsoever to delete the stories that we as true writers worked hard to write. The only reason I post here is because the other sites are a pain to post to. In time, I will be switching my fics over to mediaminer, and I hope all my readers will go there with me. This whole deleting this is way too much. I've even seen stories being deleted for no other reason than that someone reported it. The story I'm talking about even met the new 'no NC-17' policy.

No, Bakura wouldn't die because, well… he's already dead. He'll simply be sent back to the Ring. What I mean by putting another soul into the hikaris' bodies is that their souls will be removed and another soul will take over. Kinda like what the Big 5 plan to do in the Noah arc (only that's not what I originally thought of when I wrote this. The Noah arc hadn't even started when I began writing this).

Wow, this is a really long note…

Oh, and just one more thing…

I LOVE YOU, DAMIEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!

::clears throat::

Okay, I'm done. Oh, and yes, Damien's the name of my boyfriend. I love him dearly. This chapter's dedicated to him, even though he'll probably never read this. He'd like all the killing…

::shuts up before giving away any more hints::

Okay, read now.

Chapter seven:

New evil

Marik began to follow the two yamis, but Malik held him back.

"Marik, I want you to go to the others. They need someone with them. Tell them we're coming, Yami too. If something happens, call me," said Malik, and drew his hikari into his arms, "Be careful, Marik. I love you." Without giving Marik the time to reply, he ran off with Bakura.

Marik shook his head in an effort to clear it. He had time to think about that later. Now, he had to get back to the others.

He went back down the hall and peeked his head into the room. There were guards at both Ryou and Yugi's feet. No problem…

He took the Millennium Rod out of the belt loop of his jeans and unsheathed its hidden dagger. He would have to deal with them in Malik's style then…

Creeping up behind the closest guard, he swung the blade down into the man's back. With a shriek, the man went down, and the other guard rushed over to help his fallen comrade. The blade swung up this time, and caught the second man in the gut, but this one went down quietly.

"Marik!" Ryou cried," You came back!"

Marik smiled as he went to Ryou's side and began to work on freeing him from the chains, speaking fast, updating Ryou on the discussion between Malik and Hynes, and Hynes' true plan.

"So, he was never truly after the Items," Ryou whispered, "But that still doesn't answer a lot of questions. Why did Hynes try to rape you if he's planning to use your body for some wizard? Why bring the yamis here? Why—"

"Ryou, we can worry about that later!" Marik cried, "Right now, we need to focus on getting out of here."

"Not so fast, little one."

The voice was female, and Marik couldn't quite place where it came from. It sent chills up his spine and he let go of the shackle in his hand and looked up.

"Who's there? Show yourself!" he yelled.

"I'm right here, little Marik," said the female voice, and before he could turn, he was grabbed from behind. He struggled, but the grip on his arms was too tight to brake.

/Malik! Yami, help me! / he cried through his mindlink, /I'm in the room three doors down from where you were kept! Please hurry! /

//We're coming, hikari. We just found the Puzzle! We're heading there now! //

He continued to struggle as he was thrown onto the third table and the female he guessed that had spoken shackled his wrists and ankles. He struggled against them, but they wouldn't give. The woman forced the Millennium Rod out of his hand. A shiver ran through Marik's body, as his link with his yami was suddenly broken.

"That fool…" the woman hissed, "I told him he couldn't work that damn spell, that it would backfire on him… stupid mortal," she looked around at the men that Marik didn't realize had walked in, "Go find the two yamis. Bring them to me. Tell them I have their hikaris… they'll come quietly."

The men left, and Marik shuddered at the thought of what this woman could possibly do to them.

Malik and Bakura ran down the hallway, the sound of their footfalls resounding in the emptiness. Malik was scared. His hikari's final words to him before their link was broken sent shivers up his spine. Someone must have taken the Millennium Rod from him. He'd kill whoever had it, of course, and whoever had gotten Marik so scared. No one scared his hikari and got away with it.

Speaking of which…

They passed Hynes where they had left him, and Bakura growled at the sight of him. Not being able to use his Shadow powers, he unsheathed a knife he had hidden in the waistband of his jeans. With three stabs, there was no doubt that Derek Hynes would never walk the earth again.

"Did you have to do that?" Malik asked, but by the look on the Egyptian's face, Bakura could tell that he didn't mind.

"Yes," Bakura snapped, "That bastard had it coming."

Malik shrugged and they continued, leaving Hynes behind.

"Hey."

They turned to the voice, and saw a man standing behind them, wielding a knife. Bakura grinned and held out his own bloodstained weapon, ready for a fight.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, seeing as your hikaris are still in quite a bit of danger," the man laughed, "Follow me if you want to keep them alive as long as possible."

Malik and Bakura growled together, but knew they could do nothing. If this man could take them to their hikaris, then they had no choice but to follow him. 

Ryou shivered as the woman turned away from Marik and approached him. Her long, acrylic fingernails dragged over his cheek, and she purred so softly that Ryou was suddenly unsure she actually had.

"So… you are the boy my little brother will take over," she whispered, "He's always had good taste… it's too bad. If you weren't about to be thrown out of your body…" she sighed and turned away.

Shivering harder, Ryou felt a tear escape his eye and he turned his head to look at Marik. The Egyptian was also trembling, but he must have felt Ryou's gaze, because he turned his own head and their eyes met.

"I'm scared," the tanned boy whispered when the woman walked out of hearing range.

"I know. I am too," Ryou whispered back, "But they'll come for us, I know they will. All of them. Malik would never let anything happen to you. He loves you too much, even if he doesn't always show it." Ryou smiled semi-comfortingly. However, he doubted his own words. His mind flashed back to when Marik had been kidnapped. How much time had passed between when Marik was taken and when Malik had confessed his love for Ryou? It couldn't have been more than about ten minutes!

Guilt ate away at Ryou's stomach. He knew he'd never live it down without mentioning Malik's confession to Marik. He knew his fellow hikari would be angry, and Ryou didn't want to get Malik in trouble, but it would be too big a secret to keep. And what if Malik tried again to win Ryou's affection? What kind of position would that put Ryou in?

"Ryou? What's wrong?" Marik whispered.

"I… nothing," Ryou hesitated. More guilt materialized in his stomach. He hated lying, "I'm just nervous, that's all." He fell silent, and Marik got the point.

The woman returned, singing a song beneath her breath. The words sounded foreign to Ryou's ears: Egyptian. She sung as she checked the tightness of Ryou's bindings, and something clicked in the hikari's mind.

The park. Hynes. The kiss. The words spoken to him beforehand. Marik's story of what his yami had told Hynes. He put it all together, and came up with a kind of plan.

"Um… miss?" he called to the woman as she began to walk away, and she turned, smiling.

"Such manners," she giggled, "Yes, little one?"

"I… have something to tell you," he said, hoping she would take the bait.

"What?"

"Well… it's kind of a secret," Ryou whispered, forcing a blush. Behind her, Marik frowned at him in confusion. But the woman didn't notice. She bent down and put her ear next to his lips, smiling.

Softly, Ryou whispered to her the words Hynes had to him in that park. She uttered a soft scream, barely audible, and collapsed, sliding to the floor.

"What did you say to her?" asked Marik in awe.

"Well…" said Ryou, "You told me Marik said that we could very well be part wizard. I remembered the words Hynes whispered in my ear when we met him in the park, and I remembered how I felt afterwards. I was drowsy and I wanted to sleep so badly. I think… I know now why he did it. You say Hynes did a spell on you himself… I think the spell he did on me was to prove to himself that his powers worked, and that he could control them. He simply lowered the effect on it, so that I wouldn't sleep, I would just get drowsy. He… kissed me to see how I would react after the spell was put on me. That's why he had you kidnapped so soon after that happened."

"But how did you know the spell would work?" Marik asked.

"I didn't. But I was out of options. It was worth a shot. I mean, she can't kill me, and she was gonna take my soul anyway," Ryou laughed. 

They heard footsteps outside the door, and it opened, revealing the two men who they had seen the woman order to retrieve the yamis. Ryou's heart rose. If the yamis were here…

The men froze at the sight of the unconscious woman, but they were shoved aside by Bakura, followed by Malik.

"Bakura!" Ryou cried, and the albino yami ran to him, kissing him full on the mouth.

"Oh, Ra, Ryou…" he whispered, "I was so incredibly worried about you, hikari… Are you okay? Did she hurt you?" he asked as he began to work on the chains binding Ryou's wrist. They shattered in a few seconds, and Ryou knew why: Bakura had the Ring around his neck. He helped his hikari sit up, and hurried over to Yugi, who appeared to have fainted, to free him. Ryou, however, moved over to Malik, who was having difficulty freeing his own hikari. The Millennium Rod was on the floor next to the woman, and Ryou scooped it into his hand.

"Here," he said quietly, holding out the Item to Malik, who took it eagerly.

"Thank you, Ryou," he whispered, using the magic to shatter the bindings.

"What happened to her?" asked Bakura, pointing to the woman, Yugi now in his arms. Marik laughed softly, getting off the table.

"Well, it seems that our little Ryou is part wizard," he said, "He put her to sleep, it appears. Or that's what he thinks he may have done."

"Well, let's get out of here," said Bakura, "We can deal with her later. Malik, pass me the Puzzle." Malik tossed the Item, and Bakura caught it, placing it in Yugi's hands. It flashed, and Yami appeared, looking flustered.

"Yugi!" he cried at the sight of his hikari, and took him from Bakura's arms, cradling him. Ryou saw the shared look between his yami and Malik, and knew it was finally time to go.

They left as a tightly knit group, careful to stay aware of their surroundings. The yamis relaxed only when they got outside, and Malik turned to Yami Yugi.

"You going back to your place, or coming with us?" he asked, "It would be better if we stay together. This isn't over, I know it isn't."

"I agree," said Yami, "I think it's best we stay together." Malik nodded, and no one talked until they reached Ryou and Bakura's home.

They made themselves as comfortable as possible in the living room, and Yugi awoke slowly.

"Yami?" he groaned, "Where… where am I?"

"In Ryou's living room, hikari," Yami answered, "Don't worry, baby, you're safe now. No one will ever hurt you again." Yugi smiled and drew Yami into a hug. Ryou smiled too, and snuggled into his own yami's chest, and Bakura tightened his grip on Ryou's waist, stroking his hair. Malik and Marik, however, were not as comfortable. Marik seemed tense, and Malik hesitant.

"Marik…" Malik whispered, "I'm so, so sorry… please forgive me, hikari."

"I don't blame you," the light whispered, "It's just… I can't relax. I can't help but feel we aren't safe at all."

Malik sighed and whispered something in Marik's ear. They stood, and headed for the kitchen.

"I hope they work things out," Ryou whispered. Bakura nodded.

"I hope so, too, Ryou."

Well, there you go. I have an editor now, and she's doing a great job so far, so my writing should be getting a little better. I hope you like!

Next time: Malik finally listens to his instinct, and everyone's happy, but is everything better? Who was the woman? Are the hikaris even safe? And what was Hynes' original logic behind his actions? Find out in chapter eight: "Calm Before the Storm."


	8. Calm Before the Storm

Into Darkness

Ame no Mizu

Author's Note: This is one of my favorite chapters, excluding chapter ten. Not much action in this one, but there will be next chapter.

Review Responses:

Chapter eight:

Calm Before the Storm

Marik followed his yami to the kitchen, totally perplexed. Malik guided him to a chair, and the Egyptian light sat, Malik sitting beside him, facing him.

"Marik, baby, I know we've had some… difficulties lately," he began, "But I just want you to know that I love you with all my heart and soul."

"I know, yami. I love you too."

"But I have the feeling that you're not happy with our relationship. I know you've wanted more, and I haven't been providing for you. That's my fault, babe. I'm sorry."

"It's alright, Malik, I'm completely happy with you." Marik whispered.

"No, it's not alright. I have to do this." The yami took a deep breath, as though trying to steady his nerves, "Marik… we've been through a lot together. We've been in more fights than I can remember. We've spent more time making up than we have making out, and that's saying something. But we've always stayed together. I don't want that to end. I intend to stay by your side until the end of time. There's only one way I can think to do that."

"What do you mean?"

"Marik… I would be honored if you were to marry me."

Ryou curled up into his yami's arms, sighing happily when he felt Bakura's lips on his cheek.

"I'm sorry, Ryou," he whispered, "I shouldn't have let that bastard get his hands on you. I was supposed to be there."

"It's okay," Ryou said, and played with his yami's hair, "You were powerless to prevent it. If you could've done anything, I know you would've."

"Never again," Bakura whispered, "Never will I put you in danger like that again."

"I know, yami," Ryou laughed, "And you know I would do the same."

They cuddled happily and watched Yami and Yugi talk quietly. Ryou knew they were probably making the same vows that he and Bakura had. He was happy that they were home at last, all together. From what Bakura had told him, Hynes was dead. It seemed that without Hynes, the whole plan fell apart. Ryou hoped that was right.

But that woman… she seemed to know what she was doing. Were they wrong about the whole thing, and she was the mastermind behind it all? It didn't seem possible, but Ryou couldn't help but think it. The woman didn't seem much older than about 25. That would've made her about nine when he was kidnapped as a baby. She couldn't have had anything to do with it, and the kidnapping certainly seemed to be part of the plan. She would also be too young to have been with Hynes then. So how did she become so obviously important to the plan? It made Ryou's head hurt.

He smiled at Bakura, and they kissed. Ryou's fears lessened somewhat. With the yamis here, they were safe. One woman would never get past Bakura, Malik, and Yami all together. Sure, they were vulnerable separated, but together, they were undefeatable. There was nothing to worry about.

He hoped.

Marik sat in the kitchen chair, staring at his suddenly blushing yami, and tears came to his eyes.

"Oh, Malik…" he whispered, "Of course I will. I would a hundred times over…" Grinning, he leapt out of the chair and into his fiancée's arms, kissing him and crying on his shoulder.

"Um… are you okay?"

They turned to see Bakura and Ryou standing at the doorway. Marik grinned at him.

"We're getting married!" he cried, and Ryou gasped.

"You're kidding! Really?" he asked, and Marik nodded. The two hikaris squealed together delightedly and Marik jumped up to accept a hug.

"Congrats, Malik," said Bakura, "You finally got the guts to pop the question, huh?" 

"Shut up, Bakura," Malik snapped, but grinned all the same.

Marik remained smiling, but inside, he felt the opposite. Although he knew Hynes was dead, he couldn't get rid of the feeling that they were still in mortal danger. However, being surrounded by his fiancée, Bakura, and Ryou, he felt safer.

Maybe he _was_ overreacting.

They all went back to the living room, Marik in his yami's arms. He sighed when Malik squeezed him gently, as if able to feel what he was feeling. Yami and Yugi were fast asleep on the couch, and no one had the heart to wake them.

"We're… going upstairs," announced Malik, and grinned.

"Use the guest bedroom," said Ryou quickly, "Upstairs, third door on the right."

"Don't be too loud, you hear me?" Bakura mock scolded.

"Don't you worry, we will be," was Malik's last words before they disappeared up the stairs.

Ryou and Bakura stretched out on the loveseat, leaving Yami and Yugi to themselves. They lulled each other to sleep by the sounds of soft breathing, dimly aware of a pounding sound that Ryou didn't want to place.

Bakura was the first to wake in the morning. Ryou was half on top of him, breathing evenly. He gently put him aside and stood, hoping not to disturb him. He went upstairs to check on the two Egyptians in the guest bedroom, and they, too, were fast asleep in each other's arms. He traveled back down to the kitchen, and began to prepare breakfast for everyone.

"Bakura?" It was Ryou, standing in the doorway. He looked tired.

"Yeah, Ryou?"

"I… I think this is it," the hikari whispered. Bakura frowned at him, perplexed.

"What are you talking about?"

"Something's going to happen, Bakura, I can feel it," he cried, throwing himself into his yami's arms and burying his face in the spirit's neck, "We aren't safe, yami…"

"Oh, Ryou, don't talk like that," Bakura whispered, "Of course we're safe. With me, Yami, and Malik here, nothing can hurt you or any of the hikaris."

"I know that, but I still feel like there's something we forgot to do, something we have to be careful of…" he said desperately.

"What happened?" The two albinos looked at the doorway, and saw Yugi standing there, his yami behind him.

"Nothing, Yugi, it's okay," said Bakura, "Ryou's just worried, that's all. Nothing you need to be concerned with."

"Oh, okay," replied Yugi, "So, what's for breakfast?"

"I was thinking eggs," said Ryou, "And bacon. What do you want?"

"That sounds fine."

Ryou smiled and strolled over to the refrigerator, opening it. After a few moments, he closed it.

"We're out of eggs," he said, pulling on his shoes, "Bakura, you want to go with me to get some more?"

"Of course I do," Bakura snapped, "You don't honestly think I'd let you go by yourself, do you? That's how this whole mess started."

"Okay, okay," Ryou laughed, and the two left.

The morning was cool, and as Ryou began to walk, he wished he'd brought a light jacket. His fingers intertwined with his yami's, getting dirty looks from passersby. Of course, he didn't care. They were used to this whenever they got the least bit intimate in public.

The store was a few blocks from Ryou's apartment. The two enjoyed the stroll, and Ryou was glad Bakura had come with him.

"Ryou?" said the yami suddenly.

"Yes, Bakura?"

"Are you really that scared that something's going to happen?"

"Yes, actually, I am," Ryou answered, "I had this really strange dream last night. Maybe I'm blowing this out of proportion, but it really did scare me."

"You know that if anything were to happen, I would protect you, right?"

"I know, yami. I mean, you came for me yesterday…" Ryou smiled, but it faded, "I can't believe all that happened in just two days… it seems unreal. This is happening too quickly."

"I know…"

They entered the store, and a blast of cold air hit them in the face. Ryou giggled when Bakura made a face, and they began to pick up various items they needed for the house, including eggs. They talked of the past and funny things that had happened to them before they had been together.

"So me and Marik are in this tomb, right?" Bakura said as they approached the counter, "He says, 'Oh, wait, I know this guy.' And I asked, 'how?' He says, 'I used to protect him.' You'll never guess what he did next, Ryou, you'll never guess."

"What did he do?"

"He goes to the burial chamber, where the mummy is put, and he takes the lid off the sarcophagus, and he kisses the damn mummy. He says, 'Thanks, friend,' and we go and rob the tomb."

"Oh, ew, Bakura!" Ryou cried, and paid for the food. Bakura took both bags, "I can take one of them, you know. They're not heavy."

"No, it's okay, hikari, I've got them."

They walked back home in a comfortable silence, not needing to speak.

She sat in the car she's stolen from her late servant, and laughed softly as she watched the two lovers pass her. They had no idea… They all thought Hynes was the mastermind? That was laughable.

She'd let them settle into their false sense of security. Then she'd strike. They'd never see it coming. How pathetic.

Go on, little hikaris… surround yourself with your yamis. You think they'll protect you? You think their pathetic Egyptian shadow powers will rescue you? Well… you've never met Yanatarei…

We finally have a name! You think Hynes was bad, wait till you see what Yanatarei does…

Next time: The yamis believe that their beloved hikaris are safe… are they really?


	9. Point of No Return

Into Darkness

Ame no Mizu

Author's note: hmm... how to put this.... Now, I know you all have been very, very good to me, and this is in no way connected to any of you, but I am going on hiatus. My home life is a little... messy right now. I'm a junior in high school, and there's just too many things I have to do. I've got three short stories, two essays, and a full summary of Macbeth to finish by next Wednesday. There's just no time left for me to write anymore. I'm completely spent. You can go to my bio page for more details (when I'm out of hiatus, the full reasons, etc.) if you really want to know. Until then, I'll try to post what I've already written, like up to ch. 11 of this story, and anything you guys can do to make this easier on me would be appreciated, even if it's just sending me a little e-mail and reminding me I'm loved. It'll help, believe me.

Otherwise, if you're looking for more fics to read, I'd suggest checking out The Panasonic Princess, my very best friend (and the person I cheat off of in Chem). She's a fantastic writer, and I think you'd all like her. She's got a wicked sense of humor (wicked as in evil, I mean).

So, I hope you'll all check me out in the near future, and I hope to have everyone's support till I get my life straightened out.

You have no idea how much you all mean to me.

~Mizu-chan~

Chapter nine:

Point of No Return

Marik awoke to deft hands stroking his hair softly. He purred, and leaned into the touch, opening his eyes to look into those of his yami. They kissed, and Marik cuddled into the taller Egyptian's bare chest.

"Good morning, koibito," Malik growled, making his hikari giggle and they kissed again, "Sleep well?"

"Very," Marik answered, "You?"

"Never better."

They heard the front door open and close. Bakura's voice resounded throughout the house.

"If anyone wants breakfast, they've got to come down for it!"

The two grinned at each other and slowly got out of bed, getting dressed. They went back downstairs hand in hand, and the others smiled as they entered the kitchen.

"Hey, you two," Bakura greeted, "We're making eggs. You want some?"

"Yeah, sure," Malik said, and sat down in one of the kitchen chairs, pulling Marik onto his lap.

"You know, if you weren't done, you can go back up to the bedroom," Ryou grinned and Marik stuck his tongue out at him.

"Trust me, we did enough in there to keep ourselves satisfied for a week," he snapped.

"We know," Bakura growled as he placed two plates in front of them. The group laughed and began to eat.

Marik stopped laughing when he felt his yami tense beneath him (and not in the good way). He looked around, and saw Bakura and Yami had done the same.

"What's wrong? What happened?" he asked when Malik's grip on his waist tightened protectively.

"Something's coming," Malik growled dangerously, "Something evil… pure evil. It's coming fast."

"I feel it, too," Bakura also growled, pulling Ryou to his feet and into his arms, "Yami?"

"I do."

Marik's eyes met Ryou's, and he could tell the albino was thinking the same thing he was: _This is not good._

"Upstairs. Now," ordered Bakura, "Into Ryou's bedroom, all of us. There _is_ something coming, I can tell."

They went upstairs as a whole, the hikaris taking their breakfasts with them. They filed into the bedroom, sitting in various spots, Ryou and Bakura taking the bed, Yami and Yugi, the large chair, and Marik and Malik, the floor. They sat in silence for several minutes before anyone spoke.

"Is it still there?" Ryou whispered to his yami.

"Faintly, yes," he whispered back, "And whoever it was wanted us to know they were there. This isn't over," He turned to the other yamis, "The hikaris aren't safe. They never were."

"But Hynes is dead!" Marik cried, "I thought you killed him!"

"I did," Bakura snapped, "This isn't Hynes. Hynes was never powerful enough to emit this type of energy. This… is something much more dangerous."

"I don't like this, yami," Ryou whimpered, and Bakura held onto him tighter. Marik looked up at his own yami, remembrance dawning in his mind. 

"Malik… could this be that woman Ryou put to sleep?" he asked, and Malik paused, apparently thinking.

"It could very well be, hikari," he murmured. Silence reigned once more.

It was one in the afternoon before any of the yamis let their hikaris leave the room. Bakura was nervous. That feeling… it chilled him to the bone. He nearly panicked when he realized that Ryou wasn't safe. He wanted this to end. He wanted Ryou to stop worrying. He wanted to protect his hikari without doubt.

That woman Marik was talking about… he didn't want to believe it, but she may have been more powerful than he'd given her credit for. It was strange, but when he first saw the woman, she didn't seem all that capable of anything magic. Then again, neither did Ryou, but he apparently put the woman to sleep…

He didn't want to think of it, but this suddenly seemed totally out of their league.

Should they run? Call for help? Stay and fight? There were so many possibilities. They couldn't run. They'd be tracked down. Who would be powerful enough to do anything they couldn't? And would the hikaris be in more danger if they decided to fight? Bakura's head hurt trying to think everything out.

But one thing was clear: the hikaris had to be protected at all costs.

But how? The yamis hardly seemed able to protect themselves. How the hell were they going to protect their hikaris? Was this what this evil wanted?

Ryou told him that Hynes had been following him since before he'd gotten the Ring. It could've been just a perverted obsession (Hynes was certainly capable of it), but it was very possible that Hynes knew that Ryou was destined for the Item, and also knew that the albino would lead him to both Yugi and Marik. But how could he know? Unless…

This woman… how could Bakura have overlooked her?

Malik glanced over at his fellow yamis as he leaned his head against the iron legs of Ryou's bed. Marik had left to go downstairs and get some water. His eyes met Bakura's, and both yamis tensed. Suddenly concerned, he got up and left the room, intent on going to the kitchen to his hikari. As he began to descend the stairs, a noise made him jump. It sounded like breaking glass.

"Marik!" he shouted, and sprinted down the stairs. He could hear the other yamis following him. When he reached the kitchen, he saw Marik on his knees, picking up the broken shards of what appeared to be a glass.

"I'm sorry," he whimpered, "I just… got this chill, and the glass fell out of my hand. I'll have to get Ryou another one… including the other two I broke earlier."

"What's going on?" came Yugi's voice from the foot of the stairs. Yami turned and growled.

"Yugi, I told you to wait upstairs with Ryou," he said.

"I know, but Ryou wanted to know what was going on," Yugi whispered.

Malik felt Bakura tense angrily beside him.

"You mean Ryou is up there alone?" he gasped.

Yugi remained silent.

"Dammit," Bakura hissed, and pushed the boy aside as he rushed up the stairs. Malik's eyes met Yami's, and they followed. They found him in the middle of his hikari's bedroom, on his knees, his head in his hands. Malik's eyes were glued to the wall beside him. On it, in bright red paint (he hoped it was paint, at least) was:

**_It has begun. Prepare for your end._**

Ryou was nowhere to be found. The Millennium Ring was on the bed where its owner had been sitting.

"Oh, no," whispered Marik, who had come up behind them. Malik wrapped his arms around his hikari's shoulders as the boy began to cry.

"It's okay, Bakura," said Yami, putting his hand on the spirit's shoulder comfortingly, "We'll get him back."

"Get off me," Bakura hissed, knocking Yami's hand away from him, "It's not okay, you bastard! Ryou is gone! He could be anywhere! We'll never find him!" he gave a choked sob, and croaked, "I've lost him…" He broke down and collapsed, crying into the rug of his hikari's bedroom.

Malik looked into Marik's bloodshot eyes, over to his fallen friend, over to the ex-pharaoh and his hikari, clinging to each other as they would to their lives, and knew that the true battle had begun.

Yanatarei looked down onto the sleeping form in her arms. It had been child's play to convince the others, even the pharaoh's hikari, to leave the room. She had to get her hands on this one. He was powerful… even more so than his yami. He was considered a threat.

But he wouldn't be after she was finished with him.

She would perfect the spell that stupid mortal had attempted on the little blonde hikari. She, of course, would get it right. The yamis would never know what hit them. It was perfect. Pure genius. They would never attack this innocent looking creature. They would have to surrender, and Yanatarei would have a clear path to world domination.

She would let them grieve over the loss of the hikari. Then, she would set him loose.

"Welcome to the end, kiddies… you're all mine…"

She let her maniacal laughter reverberate through the empty space around her, and, in a blink of an eye, she was gone…

Well… there ya go. Yeah, I know Yanatarei is like a cheesy comic book villianess, but that's how I wanted her for this chapter. You'll learn more about her in chapters to come.

Next time: Bakura slips into depression, runs off, and Malik gets frustrated with Yami. In their divided state, can they deal with a Ryou turned bad?


	10. Hell's End

Into Darkness

Ame no Mizu

**I am officially out of hiatus!!!!!!!!**

Author's Note: I want to thank everyone for being so supportive during my hiatus. I was feeling kinda shitty, and I was very ill due to stress, and I needed that little vacation to focus on my studies. I thought I'd come out of hiding with a bang, and post my favorite chapter of Into Darkness. School is over, and I will have more time to write.

Thank you again.

Chapter ten:

Hell's End

Entry one in the journal of Yami Bakura:

(two hours after Ryou's disappearance)

Um… this is a first for me. Ryou got me this silly book for Christmas, and told me to write in it when I had no one to talk to. Well… he's not here. Therefore, I have no one. Okay, there's the other yamis and hikaris, but… they don't understand this. Ryou's been ripped from me for the second time in three days. I feel horrible. I want him back in my arms again. I want to tell him I love him just once more. I want to bury my face in his hair and smell the sweet scent of his shampoo. But most of all, I want to kiss him just one more time. Tell him I'm sorry for all the things I put him through… I never really did that, you know. I was never one for apologies. We just sorta… got together one day. I'm not sure how it happened. One minute, I was beating the shit out of him, the next, we were making out in his father's study. I'm not exaggerating, either. It's just—that one moment was enough to make me love him for the rest of my life. I just need him back.

I will save Ryou. I no longer care what the consequences are. I will give anything to get my hikari back and promise him he'll never be harmed again.

I'm coming for you, Ryou.

Bakura closed the tear-stained leather bound book and pushed it back under his hikari's bed. Malik was still trying to pick the lock on the door. He'd never do it, not when Bakura had kept his picklock set with him. He didn't want the others with him right now. He needed to be alone.

"Bakura!" called the blonde haired yami, "Bakura, please let me in. We need to talk."

"I can hear you just fine."

"Bakura, you're acting like a toddler! Locking yourself in there won't help Ryou, trust me. You need to come out and help us figure out a way to find him, okay? Please, Bakura. Open the door." His mind set, the albino strode over to the door and opened it. Malik nearly fell. "Finally! I've been waiting forever—Bakura, what are you doing?"

Bakura had brushed past Malik, pulling on a jacket. Without giving them a chance to object, he left, and slammed the door behind them.

Inside, Malik stood in front of Ryou's open door, shocked.

"Shit," he hissed, and ran down the stairs to the kitchen, "C'mon, we've got to go. Bakura's gone to find Ryou. He's going to get himself… uh, destroyed." Without a word of protest, they all ran to get their coats.

The night air was cool, not like the scorching heat of the afternoon. Bakura was nowhere in sight.

-

-

-

Ryou opened his eyes slowly, his head pounding slightly. He moaned and sat up, not sure where he was. It was a lavish room, complete with a four-post bed. He pushed aside the blood red curtains and looked around better. It was a pretty nice room, one that reminded him somewhat of his room at home (except fancier).

The last thing he could remember was being in his own room. Yugi had gone downstairs to check to see what happened to Marik… and then everything went dark. Where was he?

Or, better yet, where was Bakura?

Now he was scared. Bakura wasn't with him. Someone had taken his yami away from him again.

He shut the curtain and curled up against the headrest. He had no Bakura, no protection. He was vulnerable.

He heard a door open and close, then a honey- sweet voice.

"Oh, Ryou… are you awake, my adorable little captive?" the voice was that of the woman he'd put to sleep. Dread filled his stomach as he tried to curl into a smaller ball.

The curtains were thrown aside, revealing strawberry blonde hair and bright blue eyes. The woman stood there, looking over him. There was a bag on her shoulder, and he found himself wondering what it contained.

"Why, hello, Ryou. Good to see you're awake," she purred, "I liked that little thing you did back in the warehouse. Really took me by surprise, you did. I knew one of the hikaris was a wizard, but I never believed it would be you… I thought it was going to be the little blonde. I did my homework. Did you know your mother is a witch? Oh yes, a very powerful one," she added at Ryou's shocked look, "That must be how she's kept you safe through these years. Really gave me the slip, she did. Oh well. It doesn't matter anyway. I have you now, and no spell she can perform will save you. You will be mine at last, little Ryou, and I have great plans for you…"

She took out of the bag a book, and slowly put her hand on his head…

-

-

-

Marik's arms tightened around his yami's waist as they continued to look for Bakura. It was dark, and many of the street lamps had burnt out. The soft glow of the remaining ones gave the streets an eerie look.

"It's okay, love, I'm here," Malik whispered, "I won't let anything happen to you, hikari." Marik smiled up at him, and they kissed briefly. With his koibito at his side, Marik felt a little safer.

"Thank you, Malik," he whispered, and the yami squeezed him comfortingly.

They continued to walk, not really knowing where to go. It was getting colder as it reached midnight. They had to find Bakura, and fast.

"I don't think we're going to find him, Malik," said Yami, "At least, not tonight. You know how Bakura is…"

"And you obviously don't," Malik hissed back, "I'm not giving up until I find him! I know he's out here!"

"And meanwhile, you're going to leave our hikaris out in the open?" Yami asked, his voice rising, "We can't stay out here all night. Marik and Yugi need their sleep! We can't force them to stay out here looking for Bakura! I'm sure he's fine. Let's go back to the house, and we can think up a plan in the morning."

"No," Malik growled, "I don't care what you do, but I'm staying out here until I find Bakura!"

"Fine," snapped Yami, "Then I'm taking Yugi home. But when you get your hikari in more danger than you can get him out of, don't come to me for help." The ex-Pharaoh looked to Marik briefly, as if inviting him to come along. Marik shook his head. He had to stay with his yami. Yami turned, Yugi right beside him, and left.

"This is bad, Malik," whispered Marik, "Now that we're all divided, won't we make easier targets?"

"Not necessarily," his yami replied, "I can concentrate better without that idiot talking all the time. I was waiting for him to leave."

Marik nodded, but still had his doubts. Something inside him told him this was going to be one hell of a night.

Oh, how right he was.

-

-

-

"So, my little pet… how do you feel?" Yanatarei purred in the ear of her newest servant, and stroked his beautiful snowy hair aside.

"I am fine, my mistress," the boy replied monotonously, "I am ready."

"Good. You'll need to be ready," she hissed, "You will be free tonight, my darling Ryou, don't you worry. You will bring them all to me, and I will finally have the power I need to complete my ritual."

She turned from her servant, and began to rummage in her bag. After a few moments, she emerged, bring with her a ruby studded dagger.

"Now, my servants must be strong, my Ryou," she told the boy, "Do you understand that, love?"

"I do, Mistress."

"Do you believe yourself to be strong, pet?"

"I do."

She took up his arm, trailing the sharp edge of the dagger across the sensitive side of it. A long line of crimson appeared along the angry line, and Yanatarei looked up into Ryou's eyes. The boy didn't react at all. She smiled.

"Good boy," she purred in his ear lovingly, "My pet, you will be a beautiful asset." She lifted the dagger to his face and cut deep into the child's cheek, "Now, you are mine." She bent over and, with a sinister smile, licked the bitter substance escaping his wound, "It is time, love. You will go to the two Ishtars. You will do all you can to bring them to me. Do you understand?"

"I do."

"Very well. Complete your task, and I may give you a reward," she whispered, and licked the last of the blood off his cheek, "Go now. I will see you only when you have the Ishtars."

The boy turned, as per his orders, and began to carry out his mission…

-

-

-

He stalked the darkened streets of Domino City, hunting down his prey. He had to find them and bring them back. He had to please his Mistress. The only thoughts in his mind were of the two tanned boys who had become his game.

They were nearby; he could tell by the sound of the two arguing voices he recognized as the spirit Ishtar and the spirit Mutou. As he crept between two houses, they came into view: The Mutous had just left, leaving the two Egyptians alone and vulnerable.

All he had to do was get his hands on the hikari. The yami would be able to do nothing if he saw his hikari in danger.

But the servant had to get on their other side. As they were now, he would be able to attack the yami, which would get him nowhere. He had to get over to the hikari…

He let them go further away from him until he was confident he wouldn't be seen. He stepped out from the safety of the grass between the houses and onto the street. He followed them silently, catching up with them as fast as he could. He only had one shot at this…

He swerved off to the hikari's side, grateful he wasn't seen. Breathing again, he reached to his belt, where he'd put a small knife. He stalked silently up to the boy and reached out to grab his arm.

The yami saw him a moment too late. The hikari cried out as a knife was pressed against his throat, and the yami froze.

"Ryou?" he stammered, shocked, "What are you doing?"

The servant smirked.

"Stay where you are if you want your hikari to stay alive another hour," he hissed, and the yami gasped.

"Why are you doing this, Ryou? We're your friends!"

"I have no friends," he replied. He pulled back on the hikari's arm and the boy whimpered.

"Ryou, let him go! You're hurting him!"

"You think I care?" the servant sneered, "You'll both come with me, or the blondie dies, understand?"

A sad look crossed the yami's face.

"I understand, Ryou. Just don't hurt Marik, please." The servant smirked.

His mistress would be pleased.

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Next time: Ryou arrives at the Mutous'… will they be able to break him out of the spell he's been put under?

…

Hmmm…

That's it for this chappie…

Bye…

Please review…

Bye again…


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